The Sire Bond
by livialovesdelena
Summary: What if the sire bond was the real "EPIC" Love story, fate, kismet, all of those things? Will Damon and Elena have an unbreakable bond? Could a true sire bond bring even bigger surprises? And what part will Klaus play as they discover the true meaning of the sire bond? Sometimes canon, but mostly not...Team Delena COVER IMAGE BY FASHIONISTA1988 LIV IS BACK!
1. Don't Leave Me

**The Sire Bond**

**I do not own anything TVD, but I do love to play with the genius that exists within that world :) No Copyright infringement intended.**

This is how I think the sire bond should go...please note that it will go down a little differently...I hope you enjoy!

Liv

* * *

A moment was all it took for Damon's heart to make its presence known as it broke for the second time that same night. For over a century, he could have easily disputed its existence, but one girl changed everything. Of course, he'd loved her even though he knew it wasn't what was right or good for her. And just moments before, he'd heard the words he never wanted to hear.

"It's Stefan, it's always been Stefan." She whispered as she made her choice known.

Though she'd made the choice in order to say goodbye, or so they'd all thought. The ache Damon felt in his chest didn't even begin to cover the ache he felt now, in this moment as he watched the one person who'd been able to deal with Damon on his worst days slowly die in his arms. His best friend and drinking buddy turned rogue vamp slayer, Alaric was hell bent on ending Damon one minute and gasping for his final breath in the next.

This development was ultimately difficult enough for the self proclaimed loner that Damon had been before Ric showed up, but the worst part was that his death meant that somewhere else the woman who held the heart Damon had kept hidden away for so long was also dying. His Elena was also taking her last breath.

"No. No. You are not dead." Damon pleaded. "You can't be dead."

As he stared at Alaric he saw his friend staring back at him once more before the life drained from him completely leaving Damon holding his lifeless form as tears fell for the first time in a very long time.

He laid Ric to the ground and moved as quickly as he could to his Camaro. He knew the answer already, but he needed to see her for himself. As he sped down the highway, he frantically dialed his brother and Jeremy. Neither of them answered and his heart pounded away in an unfamiliar cadence as panic began to settle around him.

"She can't be gone." He chanted to himself until he finally pulled up to the hospital where he had hoped he might find her perhaps injured but alive. That he could live with, though he was not sure he wanted to live in a world without Elena, even if she didn't choose him.

He ran down the halls with a single-minded focus, he needed to see her. When he spotted vampire Barbie crouched down in a chair with her head in his hands and Matt sitting beside her in a similar fashion, he knew without doubt that she was really gone but he couldn't stop. He rounded the corner and caught his first glimpse of Elena; her once rosy olive skin tone was pale and lifeless. There was no movement and he could no longer hear the soft thump of her heart beating within her chest.

His knees gave out beneath him as he looked at his brother. Stefan looked about as gutted as he felt.

"She never wanted this." Stefan whispered.

Damon glared up at his brother as he shouted, "Of course she didn't!"

He stood and walked over to Elena's side as he carefully reached out to brush her hair off her cheek.

"You were supposed to grow up, have babies, watch them grow. You weren't supposed to die like this." Damon whispered as he kissed her forehead.

"Damon," Stefan started to speak, until a movement jolted Damon back.

His heart slammed into his chest as he looked down at the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes staring back at him as she gasped for a breath.

"What did you do?" Damon spat as he stared at his brother.

"Damon." Stefan said as he tried to calm his brother.

Caroline came running into the room as she pushed her way by Damon and wrapped her arms around Elena glaring at the two of them, "Take this outside!"

"What the hell happened, Stefan!"

"Rebekah happened. Matt was driving her back to Mystic Falls. They were on Wickery Bridge when Rebekah caused them to go over the side. She died, Damon. I couldn't save her."

"But you saved him?" Damon shouted as he pointed to Matt.

"She wouldn't let me help her until I got Matt out. I had no choice!" Stefan argued.

"You see that's where you go wrong, you don't give her a choice! You should have saved her! And you gave her your blood? You're damn right she never wanted that!" Damon growled at his brother.

"No Damon. I gave her your blood. Earlier today when Jeremy brought her in, she was in bad shape. He was so scared, so I helped her. She had a cerebral hemorrhage, so I helped her. I never thought she'd end up back here tonight." Dr. Fell whispered as she came over to them.

"My blood? You gave her my blood!" Damon whisper shouted at Meredith.

The doctor nodded as Matt made his way over to them and said, "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop, she just appeared out of nowhere."

"You're sorry. That should be you in there!" Damon shouted.

"I know." Matt said as he stared into the room where Caroline was still clutching Elena.

"You should have just run Rebekah over!" Damon shouted again as he walked back into the room.

Tears filled Elena's eyes as she looked between Damon and Stefan who now stood against the doorframe.

"Take me home."

Before anyone could respond, Jeremy and Bonnie came running down the hall.

"I saw Ric. I saw his ghost, please tell me she's not…." Jeremy said as he rounded the corner into the room, stopping short as he laid eyes on his sister.

"I'm sorry Jer." She whispered before glancing back at Damon and Stefan once more to say, "Please. I want to go home."

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

When they arrived back at Elena's house, Stefan carried her up the stairs to her room and pulled the curtains closed. Stefan and Jeremy stood in the doorway while everyone else gathered in the kitchen downstairs.

"Elena, we should talk about this." Stefan said.

"I don't want to talk about this. Just leave me alone!" She shouted.

"Please. You need to make a decision." Stefan pleaded.

Jeremy turned and walked down the stairs as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that his sister was gone now. What sat in that room was a new version of who she used to be and he wasn't sure that he was okay with that, he wasn't even sure that she was.

"Stef, let her be for a minute. She needs a few minutes to adjust." Damon whispered even though every part of him wanted nothing more than to rip into a blood bag and force her to drink it.

Some part of him knew that she needed some time, but another part knew that if push came to shove he wouldn't be able to watch her die for the second time today. She would feed one way or the other, but he was willing to give her a little time if that's what she wanted.

"Fine. I'll be back in a little bit and we can talk." Stefan offered.

Elena didn't even look at him as he left. Damon started to close the door and leave with Stefan when he heard her say, "Don't."

"What?" he asked.

"Don't go yet." She whispered.

Damon looked back at the hurt expression on his brother's face, but Stefan nodded for him to stay if that's what she wanted. At the end of the day, they both loved her and if this sacrifice meant she would transition and stay in their lives then it was easily going to be made.

Damon walked back through the door and closed it quietly before he made his way over to the window seat, but she looked at him with tears in her eyes and whispered, "Could you please just sit with me?"

"Anything, you know that." He said as he climbed onto the bed beside her.

She instantly laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him before she said, "Why didn't you let me die?"

"Meredith gave you my blood. I didn't know." He whispered as he pulled her closer. "But, I'm not ready to lose you and neither is Stefan."

"What happens if I don't feed?" She asked as she looked up at him with sad eyes.

A lump formed in his throat as he considered that scenario, "You will die by this time tomorrow if you don't feed."

"So I have time. To decide I mean?" She asked.

"Not much." He whispered as a lone tear slid down his cheek. "Think about everyone you'll be leaving behind though. We all love you."

"I love you all, too. But, this wasn't supposed to be my life." She whispered as tears slipped from her lashes now, too.

Damon swiped the first few away, but he couldn't keep up as more fell in their place.

"Elena, I am so angry right now. This isn't what I wanted for you. I won't lie and say it would upset me to see this pretty face for the rest of eternity, but I know this wasn't how your life was meant to go. You should have grown up; you should have been married, had some adorable little Petrova babies. And maybe you would have chosen this life so you could watch them grow and have their own babies, but that was me selfishly wanting you to stay with us."

"Jer has already lost so many people." She whispered.

"Lena, he doesn't have to lose you. You just need to feed. Stef, Caroline and I will help you."

"Damon, I can't be a killer. What if….What if I'm a ripper, too?" She asked.

"I won't let you. You don't have to kill anyone, you just need to learn to control the blood lust. I'm sure Stefan can even help you catch some bunnies if you're really averse to the whole human feeding thing. Or we can try blood bags. But, I really think the only way you get the blood lust under control is human blood, warm from the vein." Damon stated carefully hoping he had supplied her with a reasonable solution that would sway her to transition.

"I just don't know that I can do this Damon." She said as she burrowed deeper into his embrace.

"Well, you don't need to decide right this second. Just sleep on it for a little bit." He said as he smoothed her hair down her back and kissed the top of her head.

He felt her sigh as she closed her eyes and fell asleep as three words fell from her lips, "Don't leave me."


	2. Transition or Not?

**To transition or not?**

**I own nothing of the Vampire Diaries, but I adore the genius created in the books and the series, and I love to play around with the characters they created. No copyright infringement intended!**

As I mentioned before this story is how I envision the sire bond and transition, so some parts will remain as they were on the show, but there are a few scenarios that I see going in a slightly different direction. And Damon's perspective is slightly different than what we saw early on regarding her transition. Though I will say he is definitely pro-transition :)

The rating is probably going to change shortly due to my plans for later chapters, just FYI :)

Liv

* * *

An hour later, Damon slipped from Elena's grasp and allowed Caroline to sit with her for a bit while he joined the others in the kitchen.

"So? Did you talk her into transitioning?" Stefan asked.

"I can't talk her into it." Damon stated. "She has to want to do it."

"We can't just let her die." Matt said.

"I won't. But I can't force her. She doesn't want to die, but she needs to make the choice on her own. If we force her…I can't do that to her. I think I've hurt her enough." Damon said.

"You've got that right." Stefan said.

"Look, I know you're mad at me. But don't let your contempt for me fall on her!" Damon shouted at his brother.

"What am I supposed to do? She didn't even want to look at me just now." He said.

"I don't know brother, but right now she has enough on her plate she doesn't need us to add to her stress. That might be just enough to force her into making a decision that neither of us is prepared to live with!" Damon said as he poked his brother in the chest.

He brushed passed Stefan and headed towards Bonnie, "So teen witch, how about you get on that daylight ring for Miss Elena. I hope she's going to be needing it."

Bonnie smiled as she saw this new side to Damon, one that didn't act before thinking of others or at least Elena. It was clear that Elena came well ahead of his own needs in that moment. It was a side of Damon she never thought she'd see.

"Jer, can you come with me to help gather everything we need?" She asked.

He nodded and Matt followed leaving Stefan and Damon standing alone in the kitchen as they drove off.

"I'm sorry Damon. I know you love her, too. I'm just afraid that I'm going to lose her. If you are what she needs to make this transition, then I'll figure out how to be okay with that." Stefan conceded.

"She picked you Stefan." Damon said as he felt that familiar ache in his chest.

"Yeah, and I'm sure a ripper isn't exactly what she needs to get through this. I know that leaving and all of the things that I did to her caused the two of you to form a bond, and it's unfair for me to think that's going to disappear just because I can't deal with it. She's going to need some help, and if she can't look to me then you're the only one I trust with her." Stefan said.

"Why don't we let her decide? Maybe she'll want Barbie to teach her how to be a vampire." Damon said with his trademarked smirk.

"Maybe."

A few minutes later, Caroline came down and said, "She wants to talk to you for a minute Stefan."

He smiled as he made his way up the stairs.

"How is she doing Caroline?" Damon asked quietly.

"She's devastated. She sees a world of opportunities that will never happen for her and her heart is broken, but I don't think she wants to let go of Stefan, or Jer…." She paused as she looked up into his blue eyes filled with pain, "or you, Damon."

"She's going to need all of us. Maybe you can help her with the transition, you are the poster child for control after all." Damon said.

"I don't think control is what she needs. Remember that control is what led me to slip and kill that man at the carnival. She needs to feed, feel the blood as it pumps through a living breathing human being and she needs to learn how to stop without killing them. I'm not sure Stefan or I can teach her that. As much as it pains me to say this, I think she needs you." Caroline said.

Damon let the left side of his mouth kick up before he said, "I'll do whatever she needs me to do. If she wants my help, she'll have it…but that will be up to her."

"Wow, I never thought I'd see the day when Damon Salvatore relented to the needs of another person. Not even Elena." She said.

"Look, I know what she needs. She needs human blood, warm from the vein. She needs to know what blood lust feels like in order to rein it in. But, I won't force her to feed on humans if it's not what she wants. I won't be responsible for turning her into a monster like me." He yelled before he walked out the front door to get some air.

Caroline remained in the kitchen as she pondered Damon's reaction. For a moment, she was almost convinced that he really did love Elena enough to change who he was, but then she started to remember some of his past transgressions and decided she was just feeling emotional over the events of the past few hours.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Stefan crept into Elena's room and found the bed empty. He heard Elena moving about in the bathroom and a moment later saw her emerge from the steam filled room fresh from a shower. Her damp hair hung loosely around her shoulders and for a moment, she almost looked like the fragile human girl she had been just a few hours earlier.

"Elena?" Stefan whispered to get her attention.

"Stefan." She smiled. "I don't know how to do this. Everything just feels so out of focus."

"Everything is heightened. It feels out of focus because you haven't fed yet. It will get better with time. You just need to let me…let us help you." He said as he reached out to her.

Elena flinched as he reached for her and watched as the disappointment fell over his face before he shuttered it with a cautious smile and allowed his hand to drop to his side.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so confused. I don't know what I'm feeling at all. I love you Stefan, but I'm afraid of what my transition will do to you. What if I can't control myself? What if I take you down that road with me?" She asked.

"What if Caroline teaches you?" He asked.

She couldn't answer him. She wasn't even sure she could transition, and if she did she wasn't sure who she trusted to help her. She though it should be Stefan, but her heart was telling her that was more for his sake than hers.

Stefan shook his head as he watched her battling herself over the decision at hand and said, "Do you want me to send Caroline back up?"

She shook her head and looked at him with conflict shining in her eyes, but she didn't answer him.

He hung his head as he moved towards the door and said, "Damon."

He didn't wait for her answer, he just made his way downstairs and out the front door where he knew Damon had escaped a few minutes earlier. Without a word, he held the front door and motioned for his brother to go inside watching his back as Damon walked up the stairs.

As soon as her bedroom door closed, Stefan sat down on the porch steps and dropped his head in his hands until he felt Caroline's presence behind him.

"Why don't we go find Bonnie? Damon won't let anything happen to Elena. She'll come to you when she's ready." She said.

Stefan stood up and followed her out to the car. He stared up to Elena's bedroom window as Caroline backed out of the drive and headed away from the place where Stefan's heart would remain.

He wasn't happy about leaving her in the care of his brother, but if he was the way to ensure she transitioned then so be it. He knew that her emotions were all over the place, and perhaps knowing she'd chosen him made Damon seem like a safer bet. But, in the back of his mind he also worried that her feelings for his brother were being magnified as well and that perhaps she would make a different decision once she made her transition.

As if reading his mind Caroline spoke up, "She chose you Stefan."

"I know that, but will she feel differently once she transitions? She loves him, too."

"She can't choose Damon! He's…He's…Well he's just Damon!" Caroline shouted.

"He's not just Damon when he's with her Care." Stefan said with a note of acceptance to his tone.

"No. I don't believe that. He wants her because he can't have her. She's a shiny new toy that he'll cast aside as soon as it's his." Caroline said.

"I don't think so. I don't think this has anything to do with me, or gaining something for the sake of doing so. He's different with her. He was willing to just walk away if she chose me, and it wasn't for me. He would have done that for her." Stefan whispered. "I think he would do anything for her, even let her die if that's what she wants. I think she knows that, and I think that's why she needs to him right now. She knows he understands her need to choose this life, to feel like she has some control."

"He won't let her die." Caroline said in disbelief.

"Probably not, but he won't force her to live like this if she really doesn't want it. I think deep down he knows she'll choose to transition, and that faith allows him to give her a freedom that I can't."

"If push came to shove, he'd force her. I know he would." She barked.

"He might want to, but at the end of the day I don't think he would. If anyone understands being forced into this life, it's Damon. Because he loves her, I think he would make the sacrifice that I couldn't make for him all those years ago." Stefan said as he turned and watched the sun begin to set in the distance knowing that in a few short hours they would know what Elena had chosen. His heart tripped as he prayed she'd choose life as a vampire, and a life with him.

* * *

Please review as I would love to know what you think! Do you have any ideas of where the sire bond is going? Do you think Elena will be able to resist Damon invoking the sire bond when the show returns ?

They make me update faster :) This is my first TVD fic and my first fic on

Thanks for reading and I hope that you enjoy the story I have to tell!

XOXO Livia


	3. He Loves Me

**He Loves Me.**

**As usual, I own nothing TVD. No copyright infringement intended.**

So, you'll notice this is where things start to change course a bit more. There are a lot of similarities to the way things went down on the show, but there are also quite a few things that I imagine could have happened a little differently.

I hope that you enjoy my spin on it, there won't be too many dramatic changes until later in the story, but my take on the whole sire bond makes me think that she would be immediately more attached to Damon….hence my version :) though I will say I've quite enjoyed the way things have played out thus far on the show, too. And I am hopeful that Elena's reaction to Damon invoking the sire bond means that she is somehow able to override that…

Anyway, enjoy. Please review…tell me if you love it. Hate it. Tell me what you think of the storyline on TVD so far :)

3 Livia

* * *

Damon quietly entered the room and noticed Elena sitting on the bench in front of her window; the shades had been drawn to alleviate the glare of the sunlight to her newly heightened senses. It wasn't deadly yet, but the sun was not as welcomed as it had been by her human eyesight either.

He sat down across from her and brought one leg up in front of him placing his hand palm up against his knee. He couldn't help but smile as she took the hand he offered and allowed their fingers become intertwined.

"Want to talk about this?" He asked.

She gave a small nod, but didn't say a word so he started talking.

"Elena, I'm here for you no matter what. I hope that you choose to transition, because I can't imagine this world without you in it. I wish for you to have a human life, but barring that I would always choose a world with you in it, even if you had to be like me. I just can't bear the thought of never hearing your laugh or seeing you smile, even if that smile is always for Stefan. I love you no matter what or who you choose that will not change." He said without daring to look her in the eye.

When he caught the scent of her tears, he couldn't help but look at her face.

"I'm sorry Elena. I'm so sorry that I hurt you again. That you are being forced to choose between a life you never wanted and no life at all. I know how hard that is, and it's a choice that I hoped you'd never have to make or at least not for a few more years." He finished.

"I know Damon, that's why I need you to help me. I feel more...connected to you than ever." She started before Damon interrupted.

"That's because all of your senses and emotions are heightened."

"It's more than that, Damon. You know how I feel because you didn't choose this life either. It was chosen for you. Stefan is a ripper and I can't ask him to help me, because it would force him to expose that side of himself when he just got it under control. So, if I do this I need you." She told him.

He couldn't help a tiny smile, even though she didn't mean it in the way that he so desperately wanted her to mean it, she still needed him.

"What about Caroline?" He asked hoping that it wouldn't sway her towards vampire Barbie, but knowing she needed to have the option.

He loved her and he'd told her as much, but he didn't want her to feel smothered by those feelings, especially if she didn't return them. She loved him, of that he was certain, but she'd chosen Stefan and he had no reason to believe she wouldn't choose him again as a vampire.

"What about Caroline?" Elena asked.

"You don't want her to help you?"

"No."

He smiled a little at her one word answer.

"Then I'll do whatever you need me to do, except bunnies. I'm on a strict no bunny diet unless they live with Hef." He said as he flashed the crooked smile that she loved so much.

The next noise he heard had his heart fluttering as he took in her melodic little giggle and glanced up to see the first real smile he'd seen since before the whole mess with Alaric began. He couldn't help tracing the graceful curve of her lips as she smiled up at him.

He slowly let his hand fall back to his lap as he watched her cheeks flush with color remembering that once she completed the transition he would never see her physically blush under his touch again.

"So what do we do now?" She asked as she let her fingers rest against her lips where he'd touched her.

"We can go to the boarding house and grab a blood bag, it won't be as good as the real thing but it's enough for you to transition. Or we can jump in with both feet if you prefer. Your wish is my command." He said as he bowed in front of her.

She smiled as Damon's phone chirped alerting him to a new text. He glanced at the phone and his smile faded.

TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD

Bonnie had completed the daylight ring for Elena, but while she had been working on that she'd also been contemplating a way to reverse Elena's condition before she transitioned. Stefan had suggested that she might be able to call on the same magic she'd used to bring Jeremy back hoping that perhaps they could save Elena from her fate entirely.

He'd refrained from discussing it in front of Damon, because he'd been clear that he didn't think it was possible or they'd have heard of others who had managed to escape the blood lust. Damon was certain the only cure for immortality was death by starvation for the human side or something more suitable to a vampire once the transition had been completed, and none of those options were all that palatable to any of them.

"Did you find anything?" Stefan asked as he entered the house.

"Not exactly. I can try doing the spell I did with Jeremy, I might be able to call on that same magic as long as she doesn't feed before I can complete the spell, but I'll have to channel some pretty powerful magic just to do that, and it may not work since she's technically not alive anymore." Bonnie said.

"You have to try." Stefan said.

"No!" Jeremy yelled as he stood between them. "You didn't see her the last time she did that. I can't let you, Bonnie!"

"Even if it means bringing Elena back?" Stefan asked.

Jeremy looked torn between the two ideas. He wanted his sister back, but he knew how much it would cost all of them, especially Elena if something happened to Bonnie in the process.

"You should know by now that she wouldn't sacrifice any of us for her life! I will live with that knowledge for the rest of my life!" Matt yelled. "You should have let me die, but she wouldn't have it. And I doubt she'd be very happy with Bonnie risking her life even if she could reverse it. Trust me no one wants her back as much as I do, she died because of me!"

Bonnie held her hands up to both Jeremy and Matt, "I'll try Stefan. I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

"Thank you." He said as he texted Damon and asked him to promise he wouldn't let her feed until Bonnie had a chance to try.

Damon responded with another text asking Stefan to bring a blood bag back to the house just in case it didn't work.

With that, Stefan left Bonnie's to head back to the boarding house and get a blood bag for Elena, while Caroline made her way home to get a bag together before heading back to the group. She couldn't leave town without knowing Elena was going to be okay, and without Tyler she wasn't really sure she wanted to run anymore. This town and the people she loved were all she had left.

But, before she could leave her house, a council member injected her with Vervain. She woke some time later next to a very pissed off Rebekah.

TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD

Damon knew that he frowned as he'd read and responded to the text and that Elena was watching him intently. He was sure that whatever mojo the witch had it wouldn't be able to restore a life where there was none, Elena had died and there was no way around that, but he was resigned to let them try anyway.

Damon knew that whether it worked or Elena transitioned he could live with her either way, but he refused to get Elena's hopes up just in case Bonnie failed.

He looked up and saw the expectation on her face, so he said, "It's Stefan. I asked him to get a blood bag and bring it here instead if that's okay."

He knew it wasn't a total lie, but he felt bad for not being entirely honest regardless. At least that bought Bonnie a little time to try and follow through with their little plan though.

She smiled and nodded as she traced the lines on his hand, "Okay. That will work for now."

He smiled and brushed her hair behind her ear as he stood and said, "I'm going to go downstairs and get you a drink. It will help settle you down, even out the highs and lows until you can feed and start to get used to it all. Be right back, okay?"

She nodded and watched him walk out the door. She followed him watching as he descended down the stairs, but when she turned back she gasped as he sat before her on the bench near the window once again. But it was different somehow, and familiar at the same time.

_"Cute PJ's." He said as he looked towards the bathroom door._

Elena looked down at her jeans and sweater in confusion then over to the door as she watched herself walk out into the room.

_"I'm tired, Damon." The other version of herself said._

She turned back to Damon as she heard him stand and walk towards the vision of herself, that's what this had to be. So she watched it play out before her like an old movie.

_"I brought you this." He said as he twirled her vervain necklace between his fingers._

_"I thought that was gone. Thank you." She said as she reached for the necklace, but Damon held it back._

_"I just have to say something." Damon said._

_"Why do you have to say it with my necklace?" _

_"Because what I'm about to say is…probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life."_

_"Damon, don't go there."_

_"I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it….I love you, Elena. And it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you and why you can't know this. I don't deserve you…but, my brother does." He whispered as he kissed her on the forehead. _

Elena gasped as she realized this was a memory.

_"God, I wish you didn't have to forget this, but you do." Damon said as a single tear slipped down his cheek._

It was a memory that he had compelled her to forget, as she remembered standing alone in that same place clutching her necklace with no memory of how it had been returned to her some time ago.

The memory receded, as she looked around the room and saw neither herself nor Damon before her.

She turned back towards the doorway and whispered to herself, "He loves me."

When Damon hadn't returned, she decided to go looking for him. She wasn't sure whether to be happy or angry that he had stolen that memory from her, but she was certain they needed to talk about it.

"Damon?" She yelled as she rounded the corner at the top of the stairs. She came up short as she saw Damon standing in the doorway surrounded by Pastor Young and several of the council members with crossbows pointed directly at him.

"Elena don't move." He said calmly.

* * *

Sorry to leave ya hanging, but it felt like a good stopping point for now. I will try to post another chapter or two this weekend :) I have a holiday party tonight, so it will probably be later tomorrow just in case it's a late night since my family and friends are a little bit nuts...in the best kind of way of course.

XOXO

Liv


	4. Don't Give Up

**Don't Give Up**

**I own nothing relating to The Vampire Diaries, but it would be a lot of fun wouldn't it :) I just love the characters that they've created and like to play in their world from time to time…**

Thank you so much for all of the views, favorites, alerts, PM's and reviews! I love hearing from you and I will always do my best to answer all of you :) if you guest review, I'll mention you here! I really do love writing this story and I will do my best to update often. Especially over the holidays since I am off of work for a few days! I probably won't offer a specific schedule, but I will try to update at least a couple of chapters a week for you, and more if I can of course!

This is a long update :) It will pretty much wrap up the transition, etc. (I did not mess with the whole Klaus/Tyler scenes or Bonnie, etc. much so assume that they went down in a similar manner as you saw in 4x1)

Much Love,

Livi

* * *

When Stefan got to the boarding house, he knew that something was wrong. The door had been left open and the house had been ransacked. When he got to the basement, he saw the cellar door had been removed from its hinges and the vervain supply had been confiscated. Fortunately, that had clearly been their target as the fridge remained locked and the blood supply had been therefore been left intact.

He ran upstairs to grab a cold bag and packed as much blood as he could fit knowing that it might be needed, and then hurried through the woods to Elena's house fearing that driving might make him an easy mark if the council had been looking for him.

TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD

Mayor Lockwood had been frantically trying to reach Tyler for hours knowing that the council was fast on his trail. Her hopes had been that Tyler and Caroline had fled and were far away from Mystic Falls, but that hope was dashed when Sheriff Forbes called to tell her Caroline had been captured earlier that day.

What Mayor Lockwood didn't know was that Klaus had taken up residence in her son's body.

Klaus stared at the phone and cringed as Mayor Lockwood called for her dear boy yet again, "Ah, you incessant woman!" He shouted at the phone.

"Hey, mom. What's up?" He said as he attempted to sound like the loving son she believed him to be.

"Tyler, thank god! A-are you okay?"

"Fine! Why? What's wrong?"

"Pastor Young had me arrested this morning. The entire council grilled me on your whereabouts. Tyler, don't tell me where you are. The less I know the better."

"Mom, I'm okay. Relax."

"You didn't answer your phone Honey. I was so scared that you were with Caroline."

Genuine worry hit Klaus then, as he said, "Why? What happened to Caroline?"

"Uh, the council took her."

"What do you mean the took her?" He spat.

Klaus listened as she explained hanging up as soon as he had enough information and headed out to stop the caravan that held Caroline. Within seconds of spotting the deputies surrounding the van, he sprung in to action.

Once the van's momentum stopped he ripped open the back doors and laid eyes on Caroline and Rebekah.

"Tyler?" Caroline said stunned to see her boyfriend alive and well after the last time she had seen him in the crypt writhing in pain as he apparently died along with Klaus.

"I'm harder to kill than you think." Klaus answered knowing Caroline was still unaware of his switch.

"You're alive? How are you alive?" Caroline cried.

"No time." Klaus said as he ripped the vervain ropes that held her down and helped her out of the van.

Once she cleared the wreck Rebekah said, "Hey, what about me?"

"Keep them busy little sister."

"That's not possible." Rebekah said as she watched them leave.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Sheriff Forbes arrived at Elena's shortly after Stefan who was cleaning up the aftermath of the council's invasion with Dr. Fell. Both of them had been stripped of their titles and any information they might have had by the council making their attempts to rescue everyone that much harder.

Sheriff Forbes did bring news that Caroline had been freed however.

Matt arrived a short time later as the four of them tried to figure out where Pastor Young might be able to hold several vampires including an original. It was Matt who recalled the cattle ranch that the Pastor owned just outside the city limits, and it was likely the only place he could have taken them that might safely keep them contained.

At least they hoped that would be the plan, because the alternative would be far worse and between the vervain supply and Alaric's weapons, they could have easily taken down Damon and Elena. Either way, Elena's time was running out quickly with only a couple hours left to transition.

**TVDTVDTVDTVD**

Elena stared at Pastor Young who had yet to figure out that she was not the girl that had looked after his daughter April. He spoke as though she had been a long lost daughter, but he had no idea he sat in the presence of a vampire in transition. However, the more time that passed, the harder it was for her to sit still listening to him talk about the past and her parent's plans.

Every noise had her on edge, every movement, every pulse. Her eyes glued to the vein that throbbed lightly against the Pastor's neck. It was all too much. She wanted to keep up the façade, but her skin vibrated with the need to feed. To quench a thirst that made her feel like she'd been trekking through the Sahara for a decade, only it wasn't water she needed. It was blood. His blood.

With no other choice, she bolted from the little cabin only to be stopped short by one of the deputies who promptly put her down. The next thing she knew she was coming around in a pen across from Rebekah.

The air burned her lungs as vervain coated the air that blasted from the vents above them. She could hear coughing coming from the stall beside her as she spoke, "What happened?"

"They thought you were a vampire, so they stuck you in here with us." Rebekah answered.

"Where's Damon?"

More coughing was followed by a soft reply, "I'm right here, Elena. Are you okay?"

"Damon, I didn't feed." She whispered.

Damon didn't answer as his chest stung with the possibility that he wouldn't be able to get her out of there before her time ran out.

"I see what's happening here. You died with Vampire blood in your system. And now you're stuck here without a single drop of human blood in site." Rebekah sneered. "And now you have what…a few hours before I get to watch you die all over again. My day just got considerably better!"

Just then, Elena felt herself being pulled from her place there.

"Damon, something's happening." She whispered as she was lifted from her spot on the floor. Her body weakened to the point that she was unable to make the move on her own, she knew that it was a supernatural force that beckoned.

Damon couldn't see her, but he could hear the movement. "Sabrina." He smiled weakly knowing it was Bonnie who had reached out to Elena. He prayed she succeeded because he wasn't sure he could help Elena now.

His hopes were crushed as he heard Elena slam back against the bars landing on the floor with a thud. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as he was forced to consider the possibility that help would arrive too late. He knew then that her death would almost certainly lead to his. The council would die at his hands, but he would not choose to survive in a world without his Elena.

"Lena? Lena, are you okay? What happened?" He asked as he heard her slide to the wall that separated them.

"I'm running out of time." She whispered faintly.

Damon could hear her breathing strain as she became weaker by the second.

"I'm sorry Elena." He whispered.

"I'm sorry, too." She said. "I shouldn't have been on that bridge in the first place."

"You chose Stefan. I understand Elena." Damon said even though it felt like a stab to the heart.

"Damon, you lied to me." She whispered. "You compelled me, but I'm the one who doesn't deserve you."

Damon gasped as he was immediately transported back to that night in her bedroom. It had been the most honest moment they'd shared and he had compelled her to forget it. He had pushed her back towards his brother because he loved them both.

"I remember everything." She said.

"Elena, I…"

"I Love you, Damon."

Tears fell freely down his cheeks as Rebekah watched them. Damon stood and yelled for the guards.

"Hey! Hey! She's going to die in here. She's innocent."

A guard came storming in and shouted, "Shut up before I hit you with even more vervain! She's not getting out of here."

"She's going to die in there." Damon yelled again.

"I can live with that." The guard said before he shot Damon three times putting him down to the ground again.

He could hear Elena's pained screams from behind the wall as he slid to the floor and pulled the wood bullets from his flesh.

"It's okay Elena. I'm okay."

"I wish I could see you." She whispered as she placed her hand against the wall that divided them.

"I'm looking pretty sexy over here what with the blood and all." He smirked from the other side of the wall.

He heard her laugh before she said, "I can just imagine your beautiful blue eyes and that smirk that is both irritating and adorable."

"I love you Elena. And I promise if we get out of here, I won't ever leave you again."

She coughed and wheezed as closed her eyes and she whispered, "Promise."

Tears filled his eyes once again as he heard a car pull up outside. Rebekah smiled as she watched the pair in front of her. She found herself wanting to help them.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Outside, Stefan pulled up in front of the Pastor's Cabin.

"Do you have a plan?" Matt asked.

"I do, but your not going to like it." Stefan answered.

Matt started to ask why, but stopped as he saw the black veins creep out from under Stefan's skin.

"Trust me?" Stefan asked as he bit into his own wrist.

"Should I?" Matt asked as he stared into the face of the ripper.

"Maybe not." Stefan said as he ripped into Matt's neck violently before discreetly forcing his own blood on him and whispering, "Get to the barn."

Matt dropped to his knees briefly before the wound began to heal and waited for the Pastor to step out onto the porch.

Pastor Young came running out immediately.

"Leave the boy alone."

"Release Damon and Elena and I'll consider it." Stefan said as he advanced on the Pastor before being shot twice.

Matt took the opportunity and ran towards the barn screaming for help and holding his neck that was no longer injured, but his hands were still covered in blood to sell the ruse.

The guards immediately reacted to Matt's approach stopping him before he could get into the barn as they ran to his aid.

Several more followed once they saw that the vampire was down leaving Pastor Young's side.

Two more guards entered the barn to ensure the prisoner's were safely contained.

Rebekah saw an opportunity and nodded towards Damon as the first guard approached with caution.

"Excuse me. Sir. Name your price, my family has castles, riches anything you want, just set me free." She cooed.

Damon had to admit the original was quite adept at the sweet and innocent act.

"The only thing I want is to see you burn." The guard said.

She smiled as she whispered, "I'm sorry to disappoint."

Seconds later her fingers wrapped around his neck in a vice grip as she sent him sailing across the aisle towards Damon who slammed his head back against the bars several times before he pulled the keys from his belt and opened the door and ran to the second guard dispatching him quickly as he snapped his neck. He quickly ran back to Elena releasing the lock on her door and pulling the other guard who was still struggling to escape despite being mortally wounded.

His heart tripped, as he looked at her slumped against the wall barely alive before he tore open the guards wrist and held it up to her.

"Come on Elena. You need to feed." He pleaded as he clasped a hand around the back of her neck and brought her closer to the fresh blood.

When she didn't open her eyes, he shook her gently until she finally looked up at him. Tears escaping both of their eyes as he watched her life slipping away. "No. No Elena! I won't let you die!" He yelled as he swiped his fingers through the guard's blood and pressed them to Elena's mouth.

When she still made no motion to feed he latched onto the guards wrist and pulled as much blood as he could before he pressed his lips to Elena's. His tears falling on her skin as he finally felt her hands thread into his hair with the strength of a newborn vampire as she deepened the kiss. When he looked into her black eyes relief flooded his system and fueled the kiss even further.

"Ahem. Now might be a good time to get out of here." Rebekah said from across the way.

Damon smirked at her as he wiped the blood that was smeared down Elena's chin and helped her up before unlocking Rebekah's door and heading towards the entrance with caution.

Damon knew there were at least four more council members plus Pastor Young on the property apart from the guard they'd just killed so they moved quickly from the barn until they saw Matt sitting on the ground with two guards standing over him looking concerned.

Matt looked as though he'd been badly injured, but Damon could hear the steady beat of his heart that made him think the injuries were a ruse of some kind. He listened carefully as he heard Stefan's faint laugh before he saw a flash of movement near the cabin at the front of the property.

Before anyone could react, Rebekah and Damon were on the guards at Matt's side dropping them in an instant before they helped Matt up. Damon smiled as he realized Stefan had bitten and then healed him in order to lure a few of the guards away from the house.

In the distance, Damon saw Stefan rise up and rip into the neck of another council member and found his anger renewed as he realized his desperation to save Elena had forced him to sacrifice his humanity. In an instant, Stefan took the life of the second guard and watched as Pastor Young fled to a nearby car and sped off.

In spite of their rivalry, he never wanted for his brother to suffer through that again and he blamed Matt. Had he died in that car in Elena's place, none of this would have happened.

Damon turned in an instant and gripped Matt's neck slamming him against the side of the barn.

"Go ahead and kill me. You can't possibly hate me as much as I hate myself." Matt gasped.

"Oh, yes I can." Damon said as he tightened his grip before he ripped into his flesh. "It should have been you."

A second later, Elena shoved Damon back hard focusing hard black eyes on him before she screamed, "Leave him alone."

Matt scooted back away and ran right into Stefan who instantly opened his wrist and held up to heal Matt again.

"Just stop! Stop saving me." Matt said as he wiped the blood from his chin.

"What the hell is your problem?" Stefan asked.

"What do you want me to say, thank you? Because honestly, I wish you'd just let me drown."

"What, you think you were my first choice?"

"Elena's a vampire because of me. I have to live with that every day for the rest of my life." Matt spat.

"No, no, no, no, no. You don't HAVE to live with that. You GET to live with that! Because Elena put your life before her own. So every morning when you get out of bed, you sure as hell better earn it!" Stefan all but growled as he walked away.

Meanwhile, Elena walked towards the house with Damon as she shouted, "You were going to kill him!"

"Yup. The guy just won't die!"

"It was my choice to save him, why aren't you seeing that?" She asked.

"It's a little hard to keep track of all your choices lately Elena." His heart breaking as he knew she still wasn't his.

"You once told me you wanted me to get everything I wanted from life, do you remember that?" She asked quietly.

He turned towards her as pain filled his eyes.

"If it had been you on the bridge last night and not Stefan, and I begged you to save Matt…" She started.

"I would have saved you, in a heartbeat, no question."

"That's what I thought, and then Matt would be dead because you couldn't let go. Matt would be dead!"

"But you wouldn't be! And you would have gotten to grow up and have the life that you wanted. The life that you deserved, and I know that I didn't used to get that, but I do now. And I wanted that for YOU, Elena and I would have gladly have given it to you and let Matt die! Because I AM that selfish, but you knew that already because the first night we met isn't all that you remember." He said before walking away.

He knew he was hurting her all over again, but he couldn't make her choice any more difficult.

"You promised." She whispered. "You promised you wouldn't leave me again."

He stopped as a tear fell down his cheek.

Stefan stepped out in front of Damon a moment later, covered in blood with his eyes still black as the night sky and took his hand placing a small box against his palm as he said, "I can't help her like this. She needs you to keep that promise."

Damon shoved the box in his pocket as he watched his brother go off into the darkness befor he turned and held out a hand to Elena who stepped forward and laced her fingers within his own.

"Come on. I'll take you home." He whispered as he opened the passenger side door of Stefan's car.

Rebekah followed them out in one of the council members cars as she took Matt home and went in search of her own brother.

TVDTVDTVDTVD

Damon and Elena sat on the front porch watching the night sky start to recede.

"What about the rest of the council?" She asked as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"There will be plenty of time to deal with them tomorrow." He answered.

"And Stefan? Do you think he's going to be okay?"

"I don't know Elena. He had to let the ripper out tonight, I'm not sure it's going to be quite so easy for him to put that side of himself away again. He's dealing with a lot of guilt over your transition, too."

"Why?"

"Because he knew this was never what you wanted, but he can't deny you anything. In his mind he let you die."

"And you? How do you feel?" She asked.

"I'm happy because you are sitting beside me. But I'm pissed off because I know this isn't what you wanted and because it's not what my brother wanted for you either."

"But this is what it is. I am a vampire and it's something we're all going to have to live with. I'll get through this. We will all get through this, just like we have every obstacle we've faced." She answered with confidence he so desperately wanted to share, but the haunted look he had seen earlier on his brother's face left him with a few doubts.

"We should go inside." She said as she looked up to see the sun starting to peek over the horizon.

"Stefan had teen witch make this for you, just in case." Damon smirked as he pulled the box from his pocket taking the ring between his fingers.

"A daylight ring?"

Damon smiled as he slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her on the forehead.

"We're going to be okay, Damon." She whispered as she kissed his cheek and laid her head against his shoulder again.

Damon wrapped his arm around her as she watched the sun rise for the first time with her new perspective, while he watched her and smiled. For the first time in over a century he felt something that he could only imagine was hope.

* * *

So that was a longer update. I hope you like it. PLEASE review and let me know what you think. I will try to post one more chapter today or tomorrow, for you as well. There were a lot of things that I left alone in this update, but as you saw I had a few ideas that strayed from the original as well. I hope that you enjoyed them! I felt like Elena's first feed should have been slightly more...intimate :)

3 Livi


	5. Feel This Close

**Feel This Close**

**While I wish I could claim the genius that is The Vampire Diaries (or at least Damon:) I Cannot. But, I can play around in their world for a little while. No copyright infringement intended.**

**HAPPY MONDAY, nothing starts the day better than a little Delena 3  
**

Thank you so much for the alerts, favs, reads and reviews. I love hearing from you and I am so excited about the response the story has been getting. I love writing it and I will continue to do so as long as it keeps your interest :)

Kristin, we'll get to Klaus' insights on the sire bond in a couple chapters, though I'm sure he'll pop up before that ;}

And to the guest reviewers, thanks so much for the reviews…they make me smile and of course they make me want to write faster, too!

xoxo Livia

**BTW, don't hate me for the first part of the chapter…I think it's necessary but not to worry I am and will always be team Delena :)**

* * *

"What are you doing here, brother?" Damon asked as he walked into the living room at the boarding house to find Stefan the next morning.

"I couldn't leave. She needs all of us. She's going to have to fight to maintain control and get through this, and I'll do anything I can to help her through it." Stefan said in answer.

"Even turn into the ripper?" Damon asked in reference to the previous night.

"Even put down the ripper." He clarified.

"Is it that simple?" Damon asked.

"For her, this time…it has to be." Stefan answered. "Give me a chance to help her, if it doesn't work, then I'll step back and let you show her the Damon Salvatore method of restraint."

Stefan smirked as he packed a bag to take into the woods where he intended to show Elena his method of cruelty free feeding.

"You're making a big mistake." Damon judged.

"No I'm not," Stefan said with irritation. "Besides, if I can get her started on animal blood right out of the gate…"

"You're reaching." Damon interrupted.

"Maybe she'll be able to bypass all the things that we went through."

"Delusional." Damon sang.

"Maybe she actually has a shot at this."

"Wrong. You're just wrong Stefan!"

"She won't be able to handle it if she kills someone Damon. Her compassion is her Achilles' heel and everything is magnified right now."

"Then you better hope she's not a fan of Bambi. She needs human blood Stefan. From. The. Vein." Damon argued.

"Oh come on, you know what happens. You name me a vampire who didn't kill at least one person when they were new." Stefan stated.

"You name me one who went on a bunny diet and didn't kill dozens." Damon spat.

"If she kills someone she WILL crumble. How much pain do you think she can take before she shuts off her humanity switch?"

"It happens to the best of us at least once. We get over it Stefan. In a hundred years or so."

"Yeah, well I think I'd like her to skip that part."

"She can't learn to control the blood lust if she's never actually experienced the blood lust." Damon said as he started to unpack the bag Stefan had been packing.

"What are you doing? Knock it off." Stefan said as he grabbed the items and returned them to the bag.

Damon couldn't stand the idea of handing over the reins with regards to Elena. He hated the idea of his brother spending any time with Elena despite the fact that he had absolutely no claims on her outside of the fact that he was in love with her of course. Now, she had told him she loved him last night, too…but under duress as she had been dying beside him.

Damon knew all too well how deathbed confessions went being that he had made a similar statement not that long ago. But, it didn't necessarily mean she loved him the way he so desperately wanted her to.

"It's a cheat. It's like giving a kid a calculator before they know math." Damon said as he continued to remove items from the bag without care.

Stefan grabbed Damon's arm and faced off with his brother, "I said stop."

Just then Elena came into the room and said, "Whoa. What's going on?"

"Oh we're just having a little disagreement about process, right?" Stefan offered.

"You're still not on board with the animal plan." Elena stated.

"Nope. I say rip off the proverbial band-aid and let it bleed. You're a vampire Elena. Be a vampire." Damon said.

"You ready to go?" Stefan asked as he hefted the bag over his shoulder.

Elena nodded and glanced back at Damon feeling guilty about leaving him behind to go with his brother.

"Vampires eat people. It's part of the natural food pyramid. Trust me. You're going to be miserable." Damon sneered as he watched them leave. It was petty, but he knew this plan would fail and he just assumed they get on with the human blood so that she could start learning control instead of waiting for the inevitable slip up.

It wasn't that he didn't want his brother's plan to work, it was just that he'd never seen a new vampire exhibit the kind of control necessary for it to work.

Elena is full of emotion and compassion, but those things only contribute to the power of the blood lust. Once she had that under control, her compassion would work for her, but right now the emotions and fear were fueling her and that made the facade of control even more fragile.

Damon knew he would simply have to let her go and hope that he could right the ship when Stefan's plan failed. And it would.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Stefan managed to help Elena feed on a deer for the first time. She watched as it scampered back into the woods as Stefan told her it would heal before he wrapped his arms around her waist.

She closed her eyes and really felt his hands on her body sending a sharp tingle of desire coursing through her body, but she couldn't help the flash that hit her at the same time. Damon.

"Tell me what you're feeling." Stefan said.

"Like every nerve in my body is alive." She said as she heard Damon's voice instead.

Stefan let his hand move from her wrist to her shoulder sending a shiver down her spine.

"Everything is heightened." He whispered against her neck as he kissed her. "Taste, smell, sight…touch."

The careful seduction of his words lured her into a passionate kiss with her feet leaving the ground and before she knew it her back was pressed firmly against the nearest tree and clothing was being tossed aside. And once again one thing flashed in her head…Damon and just like that her stomach turned and she took off in the other direction expelling every ounce of blood she'd consumed with a gut wrenching gasp.

She thought back on what Damon had said to her earlier, "You're going to be miserable." He hadn't been wrong. She quickly wiped her mouth before Stefan realized what had happened and pasted on a smile before asking if they could return home.

Stefan agreed as exhaustion weighed heavily on her beautiful features.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

In the meantime, Damon was enjoying a full blown pity party seated at the bar in the Grill until Sheriff Forbes arrived and slapped the paper down on the bar in front of him.

"Faulty gas line leads to tragic explosion at Young farm." Damon read aloud. "Really?"

"Better than town council blown up. Police have no suspects. Unless he's sitting right in front of me." She answered as she looked at Damon with suspicion.

"Well, don't look at me. I always take credit for killing people." He said before he took a drink looking pretty comfortable with that statement.

He turned to find the sheriff still staring at him and felt compelled to defend himself the only way he knew how.

"Seriously. Stop looking at me like that, Liz. If I was going to kill ten people I wouldn't blow 'em up. I would have a dinner party." He said with his smirk prominently displayed for effect.

"The explosion was sparked from inside, this wasn't an accident."

"You say that like it's bad thing. The council's dead Liz, I see that as a win."

"I've known some of the council since I was a kid. They were my friends."

"Well, You're friends tried to kill your daughter. Or did you forget?" Damon stated matter of factly.

Sheriff Forbes paused at that statement knowing he had a point.

"Who's the new guy?" Damon said as he pointed his glass to the man approaching them.

"Excuse me Sheriff. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute. It's about the explosion at the Young farm." The man asked.

"I'm sorry Mr…."

"Oh. Connor Jordan." He said as he extended his gloved hand to her.

Sheriff Forbes took his hand and said, "Are you with the insurance investigators?"

"No, no. I'm more of an independent contractor." Connor answered as he glanced toward Damon who returned the smile albeit more of a grimace.

"Can we speak in private?" Connor asked.

"Sure."

"Thanks."

Sheriff Forbes glanced back at Damon before following Connor out.

"Nice to meet you, too Mr. Busybody guy." Damon sneered as he turned back to his neglected cocktail.

As he finished the drink, he decided to call Stefan and alert him to the news of the explosion at the Young Farm.

"Well hello little brother. How was the hunt?" He wondered impatiently.

Damon could practically feel the irritation as Stefan said, "Perfect timing. Damon. We just got back."

Damon went on to explain the "disaster" before hanging up to drink alone once again drowning in his losses. First he lost Alaric and then he lost Elena to Stefan. Again.

Just as that thought settled into his head, he heard her voice as it pierced the bubble he'd carefully surrounded himself with, fueled by his gloom and alcohol induced contempt that ensured his desired isolation.

"Did you do it?"

"That seats taken." He slurred as he turned towards her.

"But there's no one here." Elena said in confusion.

"Well, I'm just going to pretend like there's someone there because the alternative's just too damn depressing." He answered.

So Elena walked around and sat on his other side.

"Did you set off the explosion that killed the town council?" She asked again.

"Am I wearing my "I blew up the council" t-shirt? Why does everybody keep asking me that?" Damon said as he rolled his eyes.

"Did you?" She asked once more.

"No. Anything else?" He answered with clear irritation.

"Yes. Something's wrong. I can't keep any of the animal blood down."

"Well, there's a shock."

"I think I need your help." She whispered.

"Of course you do. Pick your meal." Damon said point around the room. "You've got Asian fusion, Mexican, what about some good old American comfort food?" He smirked.

"No. No human blood. Stefan's right. I have to at least try to get through this without hurting anyone."

Damon finished off his drink before grabbing her arm and saying, "Fine. Come on."

A moment later, they enter the bathroom and Damon locked the door behind them before biting into his wrist and holding it out.

"What are you doing?" Elena asks in alarm.

"I'm giving you what you need. You're a vampire Elena. You need blood, from the vein. So, maybe mine will do the trick. Or it won't…" He said as he held his wrist in front of her again.

"What am I supposed to do?" She asked.

"Feed Elena. Just do us both a favor and don't tell Stefan."

"Why not?" She wondered.

"Because, blood sharing is about as personal as it gets for vampires." He stated as he watched shock and perhaps a bit of interest flash over her stunning features.

Damon's body vibrated with anticipation as she took a step closer. He knew what this would mean to him, and that it could also forever change the dynamic between him and Elena as well as his brother. But, consequences be damned he wanted to know what it would feel like to share this with her.

As Elena wrapped her lips around his wrist the wound was already beginning to close. He shivered slightly as her tongue caressed his skin before he felt the pierce of her teeth against the overly sensitive flesh. The bite caused a sting of pain followed by the warm embrace of pleasure that pulsed over every inch of his body.

He watched as Elena became even more beautiful before him. She became something new, something dangerous and strong and he liked it. A lot.

She moaned as she pulled a little bit of who he was from his veins and the sounds stroked over his skin like flesh on flesh causing his eyes to roll back in his head as she pressed him against the wall with her body.

He knew how it felt to share blood with another vampire, but with Elena the pleasure was almost enough to take him beyond the pleasures of sex and lust. He knew she was feeling it, too. He could hear the desire in every little mewl and moan that vibrated through her flesh and right back into his.

"Elena." He whispered as he slipped her hair over he shoulder and watched the vein that pulsed just between her neck and shoulder.

As if she had read his mind, she tilted her head to the side as she continued to feed on him. The invitation was beyond him to decline in the moment.

When his teeth sunk into her flesh, Damon lifted her off the ground and pressed her back to the door as he allowed his entire body to cover hers. Pleasure sparked between them like long lost lovers reunited and the contact gave off enough heat that they both felt as if they'd been completely stripped bare.

"Damon." She cried out as the pleasure finally sent her spiraling out of control.

His eyes rolled back once again as he pinned her to the wall with the clear evidence of his desire and gave himself over to the pleasure that had already taken her.

"Elena." He whispered as he kissed her fiercely allowing her to feel everything he had to give in the moment. Tasting his blood on her lips and giving back a little of her own as he reveled in the moment.

When they came back down, Damon allowed her feet to settle back on the floor and gave her a crooked smile.

"Definitely don't tell Stefan about that." He said as he tried desperately to catch his breath.

"Is that what it's always like?" She asked as he watched the desire flash in her eyes once again before it was shuttered.

"No. If it was, vampires would do THAT all the time." He said still trying to catch his breath as he tried to get his hair and his heart under control.

"But, why? How?" She wondered.

"Maybe it's because you had my blood in your system when you turned?" He guessed.

"But, there had to be other vampires that had your blood in their system when you..." She stopped short before finishing that thought shocked by the jealousy that interrupted.

"And it was never like that." He said as he leaned against the counter wearing a heavy dose of lust and confusion, which was nothing new where Elena was concerned.

"I shouldn't have fed from you." He said in apology. "That seemed to ignite the spark."

"I wanted you to. I liked it." She said as she looked away in embarrassment.

"Oh sweetheart, I know you did. I felt just how much you liked it, which is why you can never tell Stefan." The words fell from Damon's lips like velvet.

"Did you?" She asked sounding less than certain.

"Like it? I think you felt how much I liked it. Hell, it's taking every chivalrous bone in my body, no pun intended, not to throw you on the nearest flat surface and show you EXACTLY how much I liked it. It would feel even better if we were naked." He said seductively.

"Oh well. Next time?" He shrugged.

He'd expected anger, maybe a little shock from his crude remark. In fact, he'd hoped it would send her running right back to his brother and safely away from him. He never expected to look into her eyes and see lust flash over her delicate features.

"You need to leave. Go home and take that lust out on Stefan before I do something really selfish." He nearly growled.

He was shocked when she unlocked the door and practically ran out of the grill.

"Well, that was unexpected." He said to himself as he felt a shiver run down his spine, still tasting her blood on his lips.

* * *

Bear with me on the whole Stefan thing. It's important for her to really see how different love feels between the two just as it has been on the show, in my opinion anyway. This is how I imagined the whole blood sharing should go…considerably more personal than it appeared on the show, yes :)

Not to worry, she's going to have a hard time getting Damon out of her system now!

Xoxo Livia


	6. You Don't See Me

**You Don't See Me**

**As usual, I do not own anything related to The Vampire Diaries. But, I do love to play in the world they created from time to time. No copyright infringement intended.**

Thank you so much for all the PM's, Reads/Reviews, Follows and Alerts. I am floored by how much the story is being read in just a few days! You guys are amazing! Anyway, I hope that you are enjoying the direction it has taken. We'll be seeing how Stefan feels about the blood sharing shortly :) I doubt it's going to go over well…

And we'll also see a little more of Connor and deal with the memorial from 4x2. Then we'll see where we go from there…a frat party maybe ;}

Anyway, you all make me want to write non-stop.

xoxo

Livia

* * *

_You don't see the way I look at you  
When you are not looking at me  
I wish that I could tell you every single thought I ever had  
About you and me  
But you don't see me that way_

_And I'd like to hold you here in my arms_  
_And have you never leave_  
_And I'd like to give you all that I have_  
_To have you stay with me_

_You Don't See Me by Safetysuit_

_(A perfect song for Damon pre 4x07 though I think in my world he gets a little more love;)_

* * *

Elena ran into the boarding house in search of Stefan, ready to act on the fire that was still pulsing through her.

She stopped short when she saw Stefan crouched over Tyler cleaning up his wounds after he had an unfortunate run in with the business end of Connor Jordan's gun and his freaky wooden bullets.

"What happened?" She asked as she watched Stefan wince in pain from touching the carving on one of the hand carved bullets.

"Connor Jordan. Word to the wise, do not shake his hand. He wears a vervain soaked glove to suss out the demons. Not a fun experience." Tyler said weakly.

"Stay away from him altogether. His bullets would have killed a normal Vampire." Stefan added.

"The hell with that. If he shows his face again I'll rip his head off." Caroline growled.

"Get in line, I'm sure Damon is well on his way to plotting the hunter's demise."

"You talked to Damon?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, just a few minutes ago. Why?" Stefan asked as glanced back at her in confusion.

"No reason. I'm going to go home and check on Jer before I head over to help with the memorial." Elena said.

She made it home quickly and changed then made sure Jeremy had a ride before she headed to the church. When she arrived she immediately spotted Matt.

"How are you feeling? You look a little, uh, strung out." Matt said as he saw her approaching.

" I'm fine. It's just my emotions are all over the place. Everything's heightened. I mean, just the sight of all the names of the dead makes me want to cry for a week." She answered.

"You didn't have to volunteer."

"People died. People we've known our whole lives. So... Yeah, I did." She whispered.

"Is that…?" She asked as she spotted the petite brunette in the first pew.

"April Young, yeah." Matt responded.

"Oh, wow." Elena said as she pointed indicating she was going to go talk to the girl.

Matt watched as she sat down beside her and pulled April into a hug. In spite of all Elena had been through, she was still the Elena he had always known and that made him smile. He watched for a few more minutes, but then went back to placing programs along the rows of seats. The next time he looked over, Elena was gone.

TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD

Elena had just made it to the bathroom in the basement before Damon's blood tore from her throat covering the floor and toilet along with the front of her dress. Panic welled from within as tears stung her eyes while she frantically tried to clean up the mess, only to have whatever blood remained in her system come up once more.

As she continued to clean she heard Damon's voice on the other end of the phone. She hadn't even realized she'd dialed him, but relief flooded her system as she said, "Damon I need you're help."

She continued to clean as she explained the situation to him and told him where to find the items she needed. Before the calm that Damon offered could settle around her completely, she heard a noise at the door.

"Is that you at the door?" She asked frantically.

"Not yet." He answered running just a little faster.

"There's someone in here. I'll be just a minute." She shouted to whoever lingered outside the door.

"Damon, hurry." She whispered.

Minutes later, Damon hits the bottom of the basement stairs and spots Connor sitting on the couch outside the bathroom.

"You again. Stalking small town funerals?" Damon said.

_Relief struck Elena as she heard his voice, but it was short lived when she poked her head out to see the man she knew had to be the hunter the others had been talking about. _

"Oh, Damon. Thank god." She said as she grabbed the garment bag and tote he had in his hand.

"Sorry, I spilled coffee all over my dress." Elena offered in apology.

_The hunter stood and walked towards them as Elena retreated back into the safety of the bathroom and worked to make sure everything was cleaned up._

"We have not met. I'm Connor. Jordan." He said as he extended his gloved hand to Damon.

"Damon. Germaphobe." He responded with his crooked grin. "Everything ok in there?"

"Just a minute!" Elena yelled as she tossed all of the bloody towels into the bag.

Turning back to Connor, Damon says, "So what brings you to Mystic Falls? Bible salesman?"

"No, no, actually I'm in, uh, environmental clean-up." He answered as he looked Damon up and down.

"Oh?" Damon offered as he sized up the hunter.

"Heard you had a bit of a pollution problem."

"Huh. Well, I was unaware. I breathe pretty easy." Damon smirked.

_Finally Elena emerged from the bathroom in a fresh dress carrying the garment bag and tote, which Damon promptly took from her. _

"I'm so sorry that took so long." She apologized again.

"No problem." Connor replied.

"Well, enjoy your stay. We love visitors, and the scenery is to die for." Damon offered before clapping his hand over his mouth as he gasped. "Funeral pun. Too soon. Sorry."

Damon looped and arm through Elena's and quickly led her away from the hunter and outside.

"Did you bring the blood bag?" She asked louder than she'd intended.

"Would you like to say that a little louder, I don't think the hunter heard you!" Damon said as he pulled her behind a tree and handed her the blood bag.

"Drink it slowly." He whispered.

Elena carefully opened the bag and took a small sip before gagging and coughing.

"What's wrong with me?" She asked on the verge of tears for the hundredth time in the last hour. Her emotions really were all over the place.

"It's probably your doppelganger blood." He guessed as he gently wiped the blood from her lips. "You're rejecting the transition."

"I'm dying, aren't I?" She asked.

"No. You just need to drink from the vein." He whispered.

"No, no! I can't. I don't want to risk killing anyone. I'd rather be dead!" She whispered.

"Don't you dare talk like that! I won't allow it. You'll be fine. Okay, Elena? I'm going to do everything in my power to help you stay in control. I won't let you be like us. I swear to you." He whispered.

She nodded and suddenly, she couldn't even recall why she would say such a thing.

"I have to get back inside." She said as she saw Stefan approaching.

"Oh great! Way to leave me holding the bag. Literally." Damon joked to her back as he turned to face his brother.

"What's in the bag Damon?" Stefan asked.

"Mid-service snack. Church always gets me hungry, the whole blood of Christ thing, I guess. It was for Elena." He finally answered with a shrug.

"You're really that intent on getting your way?"

"Not my way, the only way brother."

"If she kills someone, she'll be desperate to escape the guilt and maybe even desperate enough shut off her humanity switch. Do you really want that?" Stefan asked.

"What and become a ripper?"

"We can't let her become anything like me." Stefan answered.

"Let's say what you're really thinking Stef. God forbid she becomes anything like me. She's going to go off the rails at some point. So, I say the faster we make it happen, the sooner we put the pieces back together."

"She's strong, Damon. If we help her she can survive." Stefan said.

"She's starving Stefan. She hasn't been able to keep blood down for days."

"What are you talking about? She told me she was fine."

"Well, then she lied. Your little four-legged protein shake was a bust. The juice box was a no-go. She can't even keep my blood down." Damon revealed before he had time to sensor the thought. He couldn't help the small smile that escaped as he remembered the intimacy of the experience though.

Stefan took the shock like a slap to the face, "She FED from you?"

"Oops. Did I say that out loud?" Damon said with a smirk as he walked away from his brother who remained in a stunned silence. He could feel the anger burning off of him even from the distance he'd put between them.

Elena walked into the church and sought out Jeremy and Matt taking the seat beside them.

"Are you okay?" Matt asked with concern.

"I'm fine." She replied.

Jeremy leaned over and said, "Hey. April was looking for you, she said she needed help with her speech."

"Where is she?" She asked as she glanced around.

Unbeknownst to them, Connor who had already mortally wounded the young girl in hopes of enticing a vampire into revealing their inner demon was holding her in the balcony.

"I don't know, she was here a minute ago." Jeremy answered.

Stefan entered the church and spotted Tyler and Caroline.

"What are you doing here, Tyler?"

"Being sensitive to the communities loss. I don't know." He answered.

"With a hunter out to get you?" Stefan asked.

"I'm not going to let a hunter stop me from being where I'm supposed to be." Tyler replied.

"Also, if he shows his face…I'm going to kick his ass." Caroline added.

As Mayor Lockwood stepped up to the podium Stefan joined Elena, Matt and Jeremy. He couldn't help but notice her sallow appearance and the sweat that was beaded at her hairline.

Mayor Lockwood called for April to come up and talk about her Dad, Elena glanced around finally deciding to go up in her place. She was certain the younger girl had just been too overcome to speak.

Elena stood before everyone ready to talk about losing her parents, but her emotions were getting the better of her. And the hunger was becoming overwhelming.

"She doesn't look so good." Damon said as he sat beside Stefan.

"Well maybe you should have mentioned that she was rejecting all food sources."

"Jealousy is beneath you, brother." Damon said as he watched Elena carefully.

"Oh, bite me." Stefan muttered.

Her words hung in her throat as she tried to compose her thoughts, but her nerves were definitely getting the better of her.

"The worst day of loving someone, is the day that you lose them…" She started.

Then the scent hit her. Warm, fresh blood filled her senses making her hunger surge forward beckoning the demon to emerge.

"Do you smell that?" Caroline whispered.

"Blood." Tyler answered.

Elena gasped as the first drops fell from the balcony at the back of the church and Damon watched as she started to fall apart.

"Nobody move. Don't turn around. It's a trap." Damon whispered knowing any supernatural creature in the room would hear him.

To most on lookers, Elena appeared to be overcome with emotions. Having known most of the guests in attendance, no one was surprised with all the losses she'd suffered in such a short time. Damon quickly stood from his seat and walked to her side as fast as possible without arousing further suspicion.

"It's okay, I've got you just lean into me and let me take care of you." He whispered as he pressed her head to his shoulder and led her back to their seat.

Stefan and Damon now flanked her on one side and Matt and Jeremy on the other.

"The blood. Damon, I can smell the blood. I have to get out of here!" She whispered.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. We need to sit tight for a little longer." He crooned.

"There's so much blood. It's April, it has to be." She whispered.

Damon flashed a look at his brother over Elena's head, angry because he knew if she'd fed like he'd wanted her to this wouldn't be an issue.

Stefan just glared back at Damon as he held Elena and rocked back and forth and whispered back to her, "It's just like we talked about. Just push it back."

"I can't Stefan! Damon, I'm losing it! Do something, please." She pleaded as she looked into his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked out of concern for his friend.

"She's starving. She hasn't fed." Damon told him.

"So get her out of here." Matt said.

"We can't. He's watching us." Damon answered.

"Then feed on me. She can feed on me. They'll think she's grieving." Matt offered as he pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head allowing it to rest against his shoulder.

Elena pressed her lips to the vein in his neck as Damon whispered, "Slow and steady, you won't hurt him. I won't let you."

Matt stood stoically as she sunk her teeth into his neck just above his shoulder where his blazer would conceal it later. He stroked her hair and rubbed a hand over her back as she gulped down her first taste of fresh human blood stopping after just a couple of seconds when she felt Damon's cool hand against her neck. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek before she whispered, "Thank you."

Matt tugged the collar of his jacket slightly as he watched Elena return to the safety of Damon's arms.

"You did great Lena. How do you feel?" He asked.

"Better." She answered as she looked at Stefan glowering behind him.

She mouthed, "I'm sorry." in his direction but he wouldn't look at her, the hurt he felt was clear.

As the service continued, Damon grew more and more impatient.

"I'm going to go rip his head off now."

"You can't do that Damon, or you risk exposing us all." Stefan scowled.

"I think the risk is slightly diminished once I, you know, rip his head off." He paused. "You have ten seconds before I go old fashioned on the new guy."

"Damon, don't."

"3, 2, 1, bye." Damon rattled off in an instant.

Tyler stood and moved to the front of the church and Stefan said, "Wait Damon."

He stopped as he watched the hybrid walk right into the line of fire and waited for what they all knew was coming. A shot rang out as soon as he hit the podium and a stake came sailing over the railing of the balcony hitting Tyler squarely in the chest.

Everyone screamed and started running to the exits including the hunter, so Damon shot a look to his brother and followed as Caroline and Elena went in search of the blood source, April.

Stefan pulled the stake from Tyler's chest as he immediately gasped and said, "I'm going to kill that bastard!"

"Damon's way ahead of you. I need to go help him." Stefan said as he turned for the doors once he was certain Tyler would be okay and someone was looking after April.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

When they found her, Elena was powerless against the demon the raged within her as she lunged at the already injured girl. She came up short as Caroline stepped in front of her and said, "She's already mortally wounded. If you bite her, she'll die."

"I don't care. Let me go." Elena growled.

"No. I won't let you kill her." Caroline said as she watched Elena back off in horror.

"Oh god. I need to get out of here." She cried as she realized what she'd almost done.

"No. You can't she needs you, Elena. She needs you to tell her everything is going to be okay." Caroline said as she opened her wrist and fed the girl so that she wouldn't die.

April immediately became hysterical as coherent thought began to return. "Please don't hurt me." She pleaded.

"No one is going to hurt you. I promise." Caroline said.

"Why did he do this? Why did he hurt me?" April cried.

"She needs you Elena."

"No. I can't." Elena said shaking her head.

"You have to. She needs your help. She's not all that different from you remember? You can make her forget all of this. You just need to believe what you are telling her."

Elena crouched down beside April and looked into her eyes as she said, "You came up here to grieve in private. It was a beautiful ceremony and everyone had nice things to say about your dad."

"It was a beautiful ceremony." April repeated as Caroline and Elena took a deep breath before they helped her to her feet.

In the meantime, Damon was hell bent on exacting revenge on the hunter for putting Elena in danger and harming an innocent, human girl in the process of trying to out the vampires.

He spotted Connor as he got into his truck and accelerated to rip the door from it's hinges and pull the hunter from the vehicle. As Connor hit the ground he emptied a clip into Damon's chest before the vampire ripped the gun from his hands.

A second later, Damon was on his back as the hunter readied a stake and tried to plunge it into his chest, but Stefan's voice calling for Damon stopped him as he lunged for the truck and took off in a hurry.

Stefan rounded the corner just as the tires of the truck squealed against the pavement and reached a hand out to his brother.

When Damon was halfway up, Stefan stepped forward and landed two hard punches to Damon's head and dropped him on the ground once more.

"What the hell was that for?" Damon groaned.

"You know what." Stefan spat with venom.

Damon rolled to his back and tried several times before finally making it to his feet, but Stefan was long gone.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Matt took April and Jeremy home and Stefan took Elena back to the boarding house, leaving Damon to fend for himself.

"You're mad." Elena whispered as she watched Stefan pace.

"Of course I'm mad, Elena! You fed on him. It may not have meant that much to you, but I know it meant a lot to Damon." Stefan said.

When he turned around he saw the look on Elena's face. In that instant, he knew that it had meant a lot to Elena, too. When she wouldn't make eye contact a different question burned in his gut.

"Elena, did he feed from you, too?" He asked almost afraid to hear her answer.

She looked away and he knew. She had.

Stefan stood there staring brokenly at the beautiful woman he loved so much. The betrayal from the two he cared for most in the world felt worse than a dagger laced in vervain.

"Please tell me that he didn't." Stefan said as tears filled his eyes.

When she looked up, he saw the tears that filled her eyes as well, confirming what he already knew to be true.

"How could you let him do that?" He asked.

"It just happened. I needed blood and the experience was….it was intoxicating."

"That's one way to put it. I was thinking more along the lines of orgasmic." Stefan spat as he threw a decanter of Damon's favorite Scotch into the fire watching as it went up in flames the same way his heart was feeling now.

"I didn't know." She whispered in her defense.

"Maybe not, but he knew how personal that would be."

"He was trying to help, Stefan."

"He helped himself, Elena. When are you going to figure out that he manipulates people and lies to serve his own needs."

"He didn't ask. I offered." She said as she pushed by Stefan and walked out of the house hating how much she was hurting everyone at every turn.

Stefan just closed his eyes as he realized he wasn't helping her at all. He was pushing her right into Damon's arms.

He turned and headed to the driveway intent on finding her as he followed the sound of her crying, but he stopped short when he saw Damon standing before her crouched down to eye level wiping away her tears. Tears that he had caused, all because he couldn't see how hard he was trying to hold on to the human version of Elena. unable to accept the vampire she had already become.

He knew in that moment that he was going to have to let go to some extent or risk losing her altogether. So, he watched as his brother swooped in and saved the day and did nothing.

* * *

I hope that you like the chapter. They keep getting longer and longer…good for you guys I hope :)

Next chapter we'll see what Damon has to teach Elena about being a vampire as Stefan finally starts to loosen his hold on her. I will try to get that up later tonight or tomorrow if I can.

Xoxo Livia


	7. Letting Go

**Letting Go**

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries. No copyright infringement intended as the genius belongs to the author and writers for the show. I do love to hang around in their world from time to time, though.**

I am astounded by the 3,000+ views in less than 3 days. I expected a handful of views when I started this but this is overwhelming, so thanks to anyone who landed on my story and for sticking with it. And especially those of you who have taken the time to review or PM with me. I do try to respond to all messages and reviews if they are signed, so feel free to get in touch. And if you don't sign, I'll try to respond here, too :)

Much love,

Livi

BTW, one reviewer thought some of the last few chapters were a little too canon, so I wanted to mention this…I toyed with going completely away from canon, but I felt like the relationship with Stefan was too important to where this story is headed. So, bear with me. There will be some moments that don't stray too far from what we saw, but I assure you there are some twists that hopefully won't be too predictable and most likely at some point (being that the show is on break currently) I will be passing up the shows timeline and then all bets are off in terms of any similarities or differences...But, I really appreciate everyone's insights and wanted to be sure that I clarified since it is not completely canon, but there will be some moments that follow the shows path a little more closely. Anyway, hope that helps :)

Thanks for sticking with me and enjoy! A couple of familiar faces are going to pop by because you all are so amazing :)

* * *

Stefan sat in his bedroom toying with the idea of leaving. A part of him wanting to walk away so he didn't have to watch his relationship go down like the Titanic. Another part of him wanting to stay, and make sure Elena was safe and that Damon wasn't taking advantage of her.

Deep down, he knew his brother loved her and would sooner end his own life than cause her any undue harm. Something Stefan had been less successful at, of late, but he also knew his brother to be destructive and he couldn't help worrying that his needs would eventually consume her. Selfishly, he hoped that Damon would stay true to form so he could swoop in and be the hero once more.

As he stared at the blank page of his journal, he heard the floorboards creak outside of his door.

"Are you coming in, or are you just going to lurk outside?" Stefan asked.

"What the hell were you thinking, brother?" Damon shouted as he entered the room.

"I could ask the same of you." Stefan said.

"Look, I know what I did was crossing a line. One that I should have steered clear of. Under similar circumstances, I doubt your resolve would have been any stronger than mine, Saint Stefan." Damon said. "But, laying into her like that for something that she had no knowledge of, that was wrong."

"I know it was. I figured that out when I saw her crying on the driveway with YOU."

"Yeah, well it took me two hours to calm her down. Don't you remember how hard it was to rein in your emotions when you were new? I mean, I was devoid of humanity and I can still remember the discomfort that went along with feeling everyone's emotions around me. It surrounded me like a down comforter in July. You were the one with a conscience, so what's your excuse bunny killer?" Damon spat.

"I was angry. I shouldn't have taken it out on her."

"Damn right you shouldn't have! I was the one in control; I knew what I was doing. She had no idea what blood sharing would mean to either of us. In my defense, what I thought I knew didn't even come close, but I at least had some knowledge of the intimacy of the act. And, I still let it happen. Hell, I wanted it to happen." Damon said driving the proverbial dagger deeper into Stefan's heart. "So, if you need someone to take it out on, have at it."

"No Damon. You're right. Given the chance, I doubt I would have done anything differently. And I would have known it was wrong, too. I can see that her emotions are far more complex than I thought where you are concerned, and I need to give both of you the freedom to see what that means." Stefan conceded. "I never really gave her a chance to accept having me back in her life after the last year, and I certainly haven't been fair in assuming that she could shut off whatever she felt for you just because I returned. I know that you were there for her when I couldn't be, and I can't blame you for falling in love with her, I'd be surprised if you didn't, but I would prefer if you could not cross that particular line again though, at least until she knows what she wants."

"Fine. But, if you go at her again like that, I'll stake you myself. You won't have to worry about the hunter." Damon spat as he slammed the door closed behind him when he left.

Damon ran back to his bedroom at the other end of the boarding house and stood in the doorway as he watched Elena sleeping for a minute or two. He'd tucked her under the covers when she finally calmed down after her confrontation with Stefan.

Damon had been vibrating with anger towards his brother as she cried in his arms. He could feel Stefan looming, but he knew he wouldn't approach once he spotted Damon comforting a crying Elena.

He'd found it refreshing to be the one comforting her, as more often than not over the years, he himself had been the very cause of her tears.

As he'd stood watching her, he noticed she was dreaming. At first everything seemed peaceful, but the longer he stood there the more he began to feel the tone had changed. Her brow furrowed, hands knotted against the sheets and her breathing no longer even as it had been when he'd come back into the room.

"Lena?" He whispered as he pushed off the door frame.

When she didn't respond, he sat on the edge of the bed feeling the cool shift of the satin sheets beneath his hand.

"Elena, wake up." He whispered as he let his lips hover near her ear.

When she didn't wake up, Damon wrapped an arm around her hoping to calm whatever fears were plaguing her dreams.

She struggled against him jabbing an elbow in his ribcage as he crooned, "Elena, I've got you. It's okay."

But, still she struggled leaving him only one other option. An option he was certain Stefan wouldn't approve of. Though, the only thing he cared about in the moment was easing her mind as he settled beside her and let his consciousness fade into hers.

He could see her running down a dock, the hunter pursing her closely as her hair floated on the air behind her. She glanced back as she waited for the hunter to pounce when suddenly the scene changed. Damon focused his thoughts in a new direction yanking her back into a world of his creation, one that he hoped would give her peace.

Now, she stood in the kitchen with a bright smile on her face as she introduced her new boyfriend, him of course, to her Aunt Jenna and her boyfriend Alaric. He smiled as he shook hands with Ric, a stranger to him in the dream, but an old friend who he missed more than ever in the last few days.

What he wouldn't give to pick his brain as he'd helped Elena with her transition and learning to balance sustaining her new life and the blood lust that always threatened to control a vampire.

He felt Elena settle against him as she relaxed into his new dream. And he couldn't help the smile that formed as he watched Jenna and Elena move about the kitchen while he sat and chatted with Ric and reveled in the familiarity, in spite of the fact that such a formal introduction had never occurred, and most certainly never as Elena's boyfriend.

He would gladly have stayed in that moment forever to hear the laugh she shared with Jenna, knowing Klaus had robbed her of so many moments like this one. Her happy moments with family had long since been clouded by loss, one after another.

"God, I love that girl." Damon muttered unintentionally as he watched her.

"Anyone could see that." Ric said. "Love can make so many things possible, old friend. Even the unthinkable, so never give up on that."

Damon shook his head as he realized he no longer had control of the dream based on the way Ric spoke to him. Gone was the formality, replaced with the easy conversation of two old friends.

"Unthinkable?" Damon asked not really expecting an answer.

"A love true enough to transcend death. How do you think Jenna and I ended up here, together?" Ric asked before answering his own question. "Ha, you think this is your doing? Sure you got her here, but this is beyond even your abilities."

Damon gasped as he woke with a start just seconds after Ric had revealed flashes of Elena's human dreams and aspirations, only in her dreams he got to share them with her. Such and odd premise for a vampire to have, especially one as old as Damon Salvatore. That didn't stop him from wanting to close his eyes and crawl back into the warmth of her dream though.

Instead, he found himself staring into Elena's beautiful brown eyes as a tear fell from her cheek.

"Ric and Jenna?" He asked as he rubbed the drop from her soft skin.

She smiled as she cuddled into his side and said, "It felt so real. They were together, and happy."

"I know." He answered as he pulled her back into his arms and the two of them slipped back into a restful sleep.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

The next morning, Elena woke up feeling relaxed and well rested. Her heart beat a slow and steady rhythm as she relaxed into Damon's arms and remembered the dream she'd had the night before.

Damon was no longer present in the dream, but it was filled with bittersweet memories of the life she'd always wanted for herself. A human lifetime with a loving husband and children. As sad as she was to know that life would never come to fruition, she was happy to find Damon was still by her side smiling as he watched her open her eyes.

"What would you like to do today?" He asked. "I was thinking maybe we'd go to college, put your restraint to the test at a frat party, besides it's Halloween so blending in should be easy and you could use a little fun. What do you think?"

"What if I can't control myself?" She asked.

"Do you trust me?" Damon asked.

"Yes. I trust you, Damon." She told him.

An hour later, Damon emerged dressed in a period costume and spotted Elena across the room. As they descended the stairs, Stefan looked up and smirked at his brother who was dressed as The Ripper, a fitting barb after his behavior the night before.

"Elena, I'm sorry for what I said last night. I know that you couldn't have known what was happening. Can you forgive me?" He asked cautiously.

"Under one condition." She answered.

"Anything." He answered.

"Don't blame Damon either. He warned me about blood sharing, and he never asked to feed on my blood. Instincts just took over." She answered.

Stefan pressed his lips together and nodded solemnly in agreement knowing her forgiveness was more important than the how or the why.

"We're going out for a Lena's first lesson in moderation."

"Really? Because it looks like you're going to a Halloween party." Stefan said as he looked over their attire.

"Well, if you must know…We're going to a frat party. She can feed and work on compulsion with morally bankrupt frat boys, it'll be like binging without the guilt." Damon smirked.

Stefan's eyes showed disapproval, but he kept the opinions to himself for Elena's sake.

"Be careful," was all he offered as he turned and headed for the stairs.

"Shall we?" Damon said as he held out his arm to Elena.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVTVD**

When they arrived at the frat house, Elena's eyes were wide in anticipation and trepidation. She was anxious to see how the night would go, but in the back of her mind she was also afraid once she had a taste she wouldn't ever want to stop.

"My lady." Damon said as he held out a hand and led her into the living room that was alive and vibrating with music. She could smell sweat, blood and sex in the air as dozens of bodies moved to the pulsing beats that filled the room.

Damon had made sure that they would be easily concealed within the room as Elena had been already covered in blood, albeit fake since she was dressed as a victim of the ripper. For his part, Damon was also covered in the thick syrupy blood substitute being that he WAS the ripper in the equation.

Elena stepped into the room and felt Damon press his lips to her ear to say, "Take your pick."

Elena scanned the room until she spotted two frat brothers off in a corner dividing up pill packs. She smiled as she decided that they would be her victims long before they could select their own.

"Them." She said as she pointed and headed in their direction. Damon followed at a safe distance as he watched her in predator mode. The sight made his entire body radiate heat begging him to follow her and revel in the euphoria that he knew would come after the feed.

"Hi." Damon heard her whisper innocently from a few feet away.

He was instantly aware of the interest the two frat brothers had in Elena as their pulses jumped and they glanced at each other in celebration.

Damon smirked as he listened to her play the lamb in their slaughter.

"I don't suppose one of you boys could point me in the direction of the alcohol?" She said as she ran a finger down the taller ones bicep.

"Uh, um…I'd be happy to get you a drink." The other one said as he winked at his friend and waved for her to follow.

The second one followed after glancing around to make sure no one noticed as they cornered their prey. Damon couldn't help the tiny little snicker that left his lips as he thought about the surprise they had coming. Slowly, he made his way after the trio and waited just beyond the door listening to the interaction.

"Mmm. Such service." Elena cooed to the first tool.

"I aim to please." He returned.

"Me, too." The second one offered as he attempted to sneak up on her, unaware that the predators were now officially the prey.

"I was hoping you would follow us." Elena cooed as she turned around and smiled with her red eyes and lethal fangs. She easily shoved him to stand beside his friend. "I brought a friend, too."

With that Damon entered the room and flew to Elena's side.

"You shouldn't have, love." Damon said as he watched her sink her teeth into the neck of the taller one before he joined her.

As they both pulled blood from the source, Damon's hand ran up Elena's arm and under her hair to her neck. She purred as her hand looped into the belt that settled against Damon's trim hips.

"That's enough." Damon whispered. "Now tell them what a lovely time they had."

Elena smirked, "You boys had a lovely time tonight. I want you to go upstairs, together and crawl into bed. When you wake up tomorrow, you won't remember any of this but you will find comfort in each other, and the next time you feel the need to roofie some unsuspecting girl I want you to instead seek out each other."

Damon laughed as she pat them both on the chest and said, "Sleep well. The hangover is going to be a real bitch."

They watched as the two men walked up the stairs hand in hand as several of their frat brothers looked on in confusion.

Once they were out of site, Damon turned to Elena and said, "That, was pure evil. Are you sure you didn't check your humanity at the door?"

Elena just giggled before she shoved Damon back against the wall and latched onto his mouth tasting the blood that coated his lips.

"My humanity is just fine, I just thought I could give them someone else to focus on besides some unsuspecting young girl." She smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Damon wondered. "Still hungry?"

"I want more." She purred as the veins darkened under her eyes.

"As you wish." Damon said settling in behind her as watched her scan for her next snack.

Twenty minutes later, Damon was feeding on a cute little bar wench while Elena sipped on a band geek before compelling them to enjoy the rest of the party and forget all about them. When she turned towards him, his body throbbed with need as he watched a drop of blood slip beneath the neckline of her top from her chin.

Damon let his thumb slid over her bottom lip before he brought it to his mouth, "Mmmm. You have good taste." He whispered.

"Want some more?" She asked as she pulled his mouth down to hers once again.

They swayed to the music, not an inch of daylight between them as they sipped the blood from each others skin until not a drop remained. The intimacy of the moment was not lost on either of them, as Damon turned her to face the crowd once more.

She moaned as she felt every inch of him pressed firmly to her back and another of the frat brothers pressed himself to her chest. Damon let his lips slide over the skin of her neck as she sank her teeth into the guy dressed as Dracula.

"Why do they always choose count chocula?" Damon whispered against her neck, his voice slipping over her like velvet.

Elena laughed as she told the frat boy to find his friends that had gone upstairs before turning back to Damon with a huge smile.

"Are you having fun?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her bringing her close enough to sample her latest meal.

Her hands tangled in his hair as he followed a rivulet of blood from her chin to the soft skin beneath her collarbone causing her head to fall back with a throaty moan. Damon's entire being went on high alert as his body begged him to take her to the nearest bed, but his head wouldn't allow it. He knew if he was lucky enough to have her in his bed, he didn't want it to be in a dirty frat house with dozens of people within earshot, and he certainly didn't want her to feel seduced by the feed.

He wanted her clear headed for that experience spread out before him on his king sized bed where he could revel in her beauty and make her feel every ounce of his desire until they were both breathless and sated. And he wanted her love, all of it. Not just the pieces that didn't belong to his brother.

"Come on, love. Let's go home." He whispered.

She smiled a sleepy smile as he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to his car allowing her euphoria to pull her into a deep sleep. As he laid her in her bed, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered, "You were amazing tonight, and so incredibly beautiful."

"Are you leaving?" She asked.

"Yeah, I just need to check in on our favorite vampire hunter. I'll be back in a few hours." He said.

"Be safe." She murmured as she slipped back into the satisfaction of her first real feed.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Damon circled the RV a couple of times making sure that the hunter was nowhere nearby before he entered and had a look around. He'd heard from Mayor Lockwood as he was leaving the frat house, she'd texted to tell him the hunter had attacked Tyler and stolen a syringe of venom, which had led him to the hunter's hideout.

He approached the table when he spotted a journal and a number of handwritten notes, but stopped in his tracks as two arrows pierced his flesh.

He grimaced as he noticed the thin filament that led back to a very large bomb.

"Um…Yeah." Damon said as he calmly pulled out his phone and dialed the one person who might be able to make sense of all the things he'd found in the RV, and who might be inclined to help him escape from his current predicament.

About thirty minutes later, he heard the sound of tires crunching on the gravel and hoped it was the arrival of help and not the hunter.

The door swung open and Meredith Fell popped her head in the door, "Why are you being so cryptic?" She said regarding his dodgy phone call.

He simply smirked and said, "The good news is I think I know why he jacked Tyler's Wolf Venom. The bad news is that he now has a very powerful weapon." He finished as he pointed to the various pieces of lab equipment in front of them.

"Now get in here and close the door."

"Please tell me that's not what it looks like." She said as she pointed towards the bomb.

"Okay, it's a kitten. An adorable, EXPLODING kitten." He snarked.

"Why didn't you call your brother?" She asked.

"Because at this point he's a lot more likely to pull the pin than help me. Oh, and look at that, you're already here!" Damon growled. "Now all I need is for you to be all doctor-y and cut out the arrows. I'd do it myself, but if I move….BOOM!" He said with dramatic flare.

Meredith just shook her head and started to cut into Damon's chest to dig out the arrows. He barely flinched as he read the letter from April's dad.

"So, how well did you know Pastor Young?" He asked casually as if she weren't gauging his flesh with a knife.

"He was a patient. Always a nice guy." She stated as she concentrated on her task.

"Nice CRAZY guy. He wrote a letter about sacrifice and destruction coming to Mystic Falls." Damon said as he handed her the letter once the arrows were safely removed and lying on the table.

"What does this mean, 'a greater evil is coming'? As if we don't have enough already."

"Yeah, you'd think." Damon smirked.

"So how did you pull lone hunter duty?" She asked as she looked over the items strewn about.

"Stefan and I aren't really seeing eye to eye on Elena's 'training'. So I'm trying to give him some space and he's trying not to murder me in my sleep."

"I see. So, I take it Elena's feelings for the two of you might not be the same as they were when she was human then."

"Well, Dr. Phil…I mean Fell, it would appear that Elena's doppelganger blood won't allow her to assimilate to Stefan's bunny population control program. So, I've had to…improvise if you will."

"And Stefan's not on board with your curriculum?" She asked.

"No. No he's not. And worse, he took it out on Elena last night. So, to say we're at odds is an understatement." Damon offered.

"And Elena? How does she feel about it?"

"Hurt, pissed off, confused and, well hungry. I'm trying to help with the hungry, and the confused. It's the hurt and pissed off that I'm not having much luck with."

"Well, she must be doing okay, it's not like I've been welcoming bodies into the morgue." Meredith said.

"Yeah, she'll be fine. I'm just not sure Stefan can accept that the Elena he knew is gone. And I don't know if he can love the Elena that she's become since the transition." Damon said with a hint of sadness.

Not for Stefan, but for Elena. She hadn't asked for this, but she was going to pay for it all the same.

"Well, she's lucky to have you. Sounds like you have a pretty good idea of who she is now."

"That's the thing, human or vampire…makes no difference to me. I love her either way, I'm just not sure that Stefan can." Damon said.

"Then maybe for once, Damon gets the girl." She offered.

"Maybe, but it still sucks that someone is going to get hurt in that equation. In spite of everything, Stefan is still my brother and I hate being the reason he is suffering. Or Elena, no matter what choice she makes she has to hurt one of us. And that still sucks, even if for once that guy isn't me." Damon added as he walked the doctor to her car and thanked her for her help before he headed back to Elena's.

* * *

I hope that you liked this chapter. I loved Jenna and Alaric hence the dream sequence, and I thought it was fitting that once more Damon couldn't control how Alaric behaved...I think that was part of what bonded them together in the first place. Damon seems to be very attached to the humans that he can't control, perhaps it's the challenge they pose for him :) And selfishly, I would really like to see what kind of conversation they might have now that Elena is a vampire...maybe a future chapter...who knows.

And, hopefully everyone is okay without the Bonnie/Professor Shadypants (thank you Damon for that perfect nickname) chaperone. I didn't invite them to the party (Besides, I don't know about you but we didn't tend to invite our creepy professors to frat parties when I was in college), though they will turn up a little later on :)

I am working on one more for today or tomorrow, then my week starts to get a little extra crazy with Holiday preparations and last minute work deadlines. But, I will do my best to post a few more chapters before Christmas :)

XOXO Livi


	8. Dancing Away With My Heart

**Dancing Away With My Heart**

**As always, The Vampire Diaries are a product of some else's genius. I just like to play with the characters they've created from time to time :) No copyright infringement intended.**

Now that that's out of the way, I wanted to take a minute to recommend a story that I've been reading. In case you don't already know this about me, I am a pastry chef, so when I was looking through stories on ff and happened upon this one, I was super excited because I also love masterchef!

**Lights, Camera, Taste… by Fashionista1988**

One of my favorite Delena fics currently. Well written, fun and different premise, all human. Give it a read and be sure to send her some love :)

Also, I've had at least 50 PM's about Damon/Alaric outtake. So, that may or may not be in the works (maybe for your holiday reading pleasure :)

And once again, I am so overwhelmed by the response I've gotten. Yesterday I was so excited to see the story cross over the 3000 views mark and one day later it's approaching 5000. You guys are amazing! To everyone who has taken the time to review and PM, thank you and thanks to everyone who is reading and following the story, too!

So, now tell me…are you ready to catch up with your favorite villain? How about we see what Klaus has been up to!

XOXO

Livi

* * *

Stefan heard Damon come in early the next morning. Had he been with Elena all night, he couldn't help but wonder as he poured himself another drink. He set a second glass on the bar and poured a healthy dose of scotch for his brother, knowing that would be the first place he stopped before heading upstairs.

"Late night?" Stefan asked without looking at his brother.

"You could say that." Damon said taking a sip of the drink as he relished the soothing burn of the scotch.

"Where's Elena?" Stefan asked trying not to sound like he was in pain over the fact that they'd spent the night together.

"I dropped her off at home hours ago." Damon said as he looked at his brother trying to ease his mind.

"Oh, so you two didn't…uh…spend the night together?" He asked though his train of thought changed course when he noticed several large wounds on his brother's chest. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Well, to answer your first question, no we didn't. I wanted to pay a little visit to our hunter friend. Turns out he's been busy cooking up a little vamp virus with the venom he jacked from Tyler. Looks like he wants to play a little resident evil with the undead of Mystic Falls."

"Yeah, I heard he dosed the keg at Rebekah's little anti-curfew Halloween party last night while you and Elena were away. Fortunately, Rebekah was the only vampire in attendance given that no one has really forgiven her for Elena and Matt going off Wickery Bridge."

"Please tell me it at least made her violently ill." Damon said.

"Oh yeah, it hit the mark. Unfortunately, it won't kill an original but, so far I don't think the hunter knows that the originals are in Mystic Falls, and he thinks Tyler is just a wolf. So, that's a point in our favor for now." Stefan said.

"Good. I'm going to go change." Damon offered as he headed for the stairs.

A few minutes later, Stefan heard Elena come into the house, "Damon?" She called out.

"Upstairs." Stefan stated as she rounded the corner.

"Oh. Okay, then I'm just going to…" She said as she pointed and started to head for the stairs.

"Elena, wait." Stefan said.

She stopped, but she didn't turn towards him.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been making this easier for you. I've been trying so hard to hold onto the girl that I loved, when I should have embraced who you're becoming. I see that now." He said as he reached out to touch her shoulder before pulling his hand away.

When she finally turned around, tears shined under the dim lights.

"I know, Stefan. I know this hasn't been easy for you. It's just that, I needed someone to help me figure out who I am in all of this, and I wanted that someone to be you. I never wanted to hurt you like this, or come between you and Damon…but, he's been there for me even though this isn't what HE wanted for me either." She said as she let the tears fall.

Stefan swiped at her tears and kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry." He whispered before he leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. To Elena it felt like goodbye, but from the top of the stairs it looked like something else entirely.

Elena pushed back and ran for the stairs, "I can't do this." She whispered as she went in search of Damon. When she walked into the room Damon was standing in front of the window staring at the sun that floated in, a Lady Antebellum song played softly in the background as she approached.

He spoke without turning around, "I understand Elena. I know how confusing your emotions can be when you're new. What's happening between us…."

He stopped when her fingers pulled against the fabric of his shirt and turned him towards her.

"Damon, I don't understand what's happening between us, but that doesn't make it any less real."

Damon closed his eyes and sighed as he wrapped his arms around her swaying to the music. When it got to the chorus, Damon spun her away from him and pulled her back with ease, but instead of her coming back into his arms like he'd planned, her hands wrapped around his neck into his hair as she pulled his lips down to hers and stole his breath away with a searing kiss.

He stared down at Elena as she kissed him for a moment, shocked that she had done so without the post-feed seduction coursing through them. When he heard a tiny growl rumble from her chest, he closed his eyes and fell into the kiss allowing the passion to ignite further until her heard a gasp from the hallway.

"Stefan." Damon whispered as he leaned his forehead breathlessly against hers.

**TVDTVDTVDTVD**

Stefan had heard the music as he'd walked by and was struck by how beautiful Elena had looked as the sun streamed in from Damon's window over her porcelain skin. He was mesmerized by her movements as she danced to the music and he couldn't help but feel a little sad as he listened to the words, the truth of their sentiment burning through him.

_I can still feel you lean in to kiss me,  
I can't help but wonder,  
if you ever miss me.  
_

_I haven't seen you in ages,  
Sometimes I find myself wondering where you are,  
For me you'll always be eighteen,  
and beautiful,  
And dancing away with my heart._

Stefan couldn't help the gasp that tore from his throat as he saw Elena turn and kiss his brother. He'd kissed her many times over the course of their relationship, but the heat that crept over him as he witnessed their kiss told a story that was remarkably different from their own.

He knew that Damon was as shocked by the kiss as he had been, it was clearly written all over him, but Elena was another story entirely. She looked like she wanted to consume him, he knew it well because that was how he'd felt every time he kissed her. What he hadn't recognized until this very moment was how that look translated to her, because up until now he'd never seen it.

Stefan hung his head as he realized that this Elena didn't belong to him, and that maybe, just maybe the Elena he'd loved so much hadn't fully been his either.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Both Damon and Elena struggled to catch their breath as they listened to Stefan's footsteps retreating down the hall. Neither of them spoke as they stared at their hands laced together, and that's when Elena smelled the blood. Damon's blood, she knew.

"Are you hurt?" She asked as she frantically ran her hands over his arms and chest.

When he flinched, she tore his shirt from his body.

"If I'd known this would get you to rip my clothes off, I'd have gotten shot with an arrow a long time ago." He whispered seductively hoping to distract her.

"Not funny at all Damon. What happened?" She asked as her fingers traced the healing wounds on his chest eliciting a shiver from Damon as her fingers grazed his overheated skin.

"Not much, just played a little tug-o-war with a bomb earlier this morning." He said sounding a little more breathless than he'd intended.

"Damon! You should have waited. What if something had happened to you? I need you!" She shouted.

"I know. I'm not going anywhere." He cooed as he threaded his fingers through her silky hair and looked into her eyes. "I won't do anything that stupid again. It's just that he put you at risk and I had to see what he was up to."

"And?" She asked.

"He's cooking up some kind of secret weapon using Tyler's wolf venom."

"Damon, I can't watch you go through that again. You need to stay away from him." She whispered as she let her finger ghost over where Tyler had accidentally bitten him before. There were no marks, but she would never forget it.

"I promised you I would never leave you. That's a promise I intend to keep." He whispered as he swept her hair over he shoulder and kissed her cheek. "Now, we need to go somewhere."

"Where?" She asked.

"You're not going to like it. We need to get Stefan, I'll explain on the way."

Once the three of them were in Damon's car he said, "We need to find Klaus. Any ideas?"

"I'm sure he's at his house." Stefan offered. "We should grab Caroline, he's considerable less of a dick when she's around."

"She's probably at the grill." Elena offered as Damon took off in that direction.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

When they arrived, the three of them got out of the car and started to head into the grill in search of their friend. Damon heard the air move beside him a moment before he felt Elena lurch forward and cry out in pain.

"Elena?" both of them yelled as Damon reached out to break her fall and pull her to safety and Stefan spun around to see where the attack had come from.

He saw the hunter on the rooftop across the square and started to go after him until he heard Damon scream, "Stefan we need to get her to Klaus!"

"What?" He said as he turned back and saw the black veins crawling over Elena's skin just before a gut wrenching scream tore from her throat. And then he saw it, a metal arrow with a hollow barrel filled with a milky white liquid. Fear crept over him as he realized what it was, wolf venom, and the liquid was quickly rushing from the barrel into her bloodstream.

"Break it off!" Stefan said as he looked at the arrow.

"I can't. It has a fail safe, if we try to remove it all of the venom will be released at once."

Damon lifted her writhing in pain into his arms and crawled into the back seat being careful not to dislodge the arrow and force the venom to release more quickly. He looked into her eyes as they clouded over and vowed to watch the hunter expel his very last breath, in fact he had a better plan for the hunter.

"Lena, stay with me." Damon said as he brushed her hair away from her sweat soaked skin.

"Damon, it hurts." She whispered as tears leaked from her eyes.

"I know, love. We're going to take care of you. Just hold on for me, okay."

A moment later, her body convulsed with pain all the while Damon was forced to hold the arrow in place feeling gutted as he contributed to her pain.

"Drive fast, Stefan!" He shouted as he watched in horror as blood dripped from her nose into her hairline.

By the time they pulled up to Klaus', Elena was barely hanging on as nearly all of the venom had been dispersed.

"Fuck it!" Damon shouted as he broke the arrow in half and pulled the ends from her flesh. He knew by now the damage had been done, there was no point in leaving it embedded in her chest, he just hope Klaus could still save her.

Stefan pulled the door open and looked at Elena, her skin was grey and covered in sweat and her eyes clouded over, she was dying and his heart broke even further as he looked at his brother. If she died, he knew Damon would die right along with her.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Klaus said as he opened the front door.

He looked on as Damon carried Elena's near lifeless body up the drive towards him with Stefan following closely behind.

"You need to heal her." Damon spat as handed the arrow to Klaus. "The hunter shot her with this."

Klaus held the arrow up as he inspected the intricate tube that ran down the center. He could smell the venom as he turned it over in his hands. She had less than an hour, at best based on the sizeable dose the barrel would have held.

"And just why would I care, she's of no use to me anymore." Klaus asked as though they were chatting about the most recent edition of people magazine and not the life of the woman the two Salvatore brothers loved.

"Maybe because of this." Stefan spat as he shoved one of the wooden bullets into the hybrids shoulder causing him to hiss in pain.

Klaus pulled the bullet from his flesh and winced as his skin burned dropping it onto the table for a better look. He turned it with the pencil that sat on the table to examine the markings and glanced over at Elena, "Where did you get this?"

"The hunter that shot Tyler used them. Bonnie says they're not spelled, have you ever seen anything like them before?" Stefan asked.

"It's the mark of the Five, hunters that were created by magic to destroy vampires. I haven't seen one in centuries though. You say this hunter is here, in Mystic Falls?"

"Yes. And he knows about all of us. But, I don't think he knows about you or the hybrids, yet."

Klaus stood as he considered this new information before he approached Elena.

"Well, that changes everything. Five minutes ago, I couldn't have cared less about you…but now, well let's just say the game has changed." Klaus said as he opened his wrist and held it to her lips allowing her to drink.

He watched Damon and Stefan carefully as relief washed over their features, but it was Elena that had his rapt attention. He felt her thoughts creep across the divide from her mouth into his skin and they all focused on one particular Salvatore brother, and not at all the one he had expected.

"I can hear the Team Damon fan girls collective cheers right now." The hybrid sneered as he held his hand up to his ear pretending to listen before he turned and spoke to Stefan, "Sorry friend, but I've always been partial to Team Damon myself. She just held you back, Ripper."

Klaus looked between Damon and Elena as her eyes began to open. As she continued to drink from his wrist, he saw something he was certain no one else saw. It was like a fog that only his eyes could penetrate, but he hadn't seen anything like it for almost a thousand years. To say that he was intrigued was an understatement.

Now that he was aware of it, he could feel the spark in the air. He smiled as pulled his wrist away and spoke, his words meant to insight the vampire before him, "Maybe she should stay here, with me."

A deep growl emanated from Damon's diaphragm when Klaus touched her and then he did the unthinkable, he turned and sent the Hybrid sailing across the room. That strength alone was enough to confirm his suspicions, but he wasn't about to share with the rest of the class just yet.

A smile formed on his lips as he took in the confused look on Stefan's face. He knew the younger Salvatore was at a loss for what had just occurred, and he was most certainly anticipating some kind of retaliation from Klaus.

"Well, looks like Elena is going to make it…time for you to go." Klaus said as he stood and brushed himself off.

Damon had already lifted Elena into his arms and headed for the door before Klaus had finished the sentence and Stefan followed suit. As soon as the door closed, the hybrid sped up to his suite and opened the safe that contained his families journals looking for the entries that dated back almost one thousand years.

When he found it, he smiled to himself and said, "Well, this could get interesting."

He picked up his phone and called Elijah a few minutes later, "I think I've found a way to restore the Petrova bloodline, do you remember Evangeline and Ernesto?"

"Yes, of course. But they weren't part of the Petrova line."

"No, but Miss Gilbert is."

"She's sired?"

"To Damon…." Klaus answered with a laugh.

"That's not enough. You know that, he could invoke the bond and put an end to that." Elijah shared.

"Maybe not, but what if it's reciprocated." Klaus offered.

"Then it's too bad she didn't die with Stefan's blood in her system, because there's no way that it will happen." Elijah said.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe he wasn't the one after all." Klaus said as he disconnected the call and poured himself a drink.

* * *

Well, what did you think? What could Klaus possibly know about the Sire bond, and what does it mean for Elena, Damon and Stefan?

Klaus is off in a corner right now rubbing his hands together and plotting…


	9. Break Even

**Break Even**

**As usual, I do not own The Vampire Diaries, nor am I in any way responsible for the genius of any of the characters who reside in Mystic Falls. But, I do love to play in their world from time to time. No copyright infringement intended.**

If you are a tweeter, you can follow me LiviaLuvsDELENA, I just started it yesterday, so bear with me. It is one of many twitter accounts I run, but the only one where I will tweet about my writing here :) So, follow me if you want. I don't read DM's on twitter, but you can message me on FF or just tweet to me directly.

Anyone have any guesses what Klaus is up to yet? What about the hunter, there might be more to him that we think ;)

Also, hope that you like my cover image, made it yesterday…wanted to use a pic, but people get into too much trouble for that. I figure Damon needs his old drinking buddy back since he can't really chat with Stefan about his current issues :)

Visitor counts are down for some reason, but two days ago the story was close to the 5k mark! You all are amazing!

Anywho….how about we get to the story.

XOXO Livia

* * *

_Her best days were some of my worst  
She finally met a man that's gonna put her first  
While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping  
'Cause when a heart breaks no it don't break even... even... no_

What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you?  
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're ok?  
I'm falling to pieces

_Break Even by The Script_

Stefan looked in the rear view mirror at his brother as he brushed the hair from Elena's face. His heart fluttered in his chest as it tried to decide whether to float or break into a million pieces.

When you love someone, you are supposed to want them to be happy but, in this case it was clear that her happiness was no longer dependent on him and it was almost enough for him to let go of his emotions for good. Almost.

No matter how he felt about all of it, he was certain he couldn't sit idly by and watch her with his brother. She loved him, but she loved his brother also and it was beyond difficult to see her with him and not wonder if she'd looked at him the same way or if what she had with Damon was somehow….more.

"What exactly do you think Klaus was up to? He just kind of rushed us out of there.' Stefan wondered aloud.

"I don't know, I mean he's ALWAYS up to something brother. Today, I'm not going to hold that against him because he gave me what I wanted. Besides, maybe he'll decide to take the hunter out, which is a win-win in my book, what with the whole can't be killed thing." Damon offered.

"Yeah, but he was prepared to let her die. He even said so until he saw the marks on that bullet."

"Again, anything that brings Klaus to the hunters rickety door step is a win in my book."

Stefan watched as Damon carried Elena from the car up to his bed. She hadn't woken up since they'd left Klaus', but as Damon laid her against his pillows and turned to go downstairs she sat up with a gasp. It was almost as if there was an invisible tether between them suddenly, as if they were….bound to each other.

As much as Damon wanted to deny it, he'd felt even more drawn to her since the moment she'd opened her eyes in the morgue. And with every moment they shared that tie seemed to grow stronger.

"Please stay." She whispered.

Damon nodded in Stefan's direction and closed the door as he slowly walked back towards the bed. When he reached her, she slid to the opposite side and held the covers up in invitation.

A light sheen of sweat still covered her forehead as he pressed his lips against her.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Stefan walked back down to the living room and poured himself a drink as he considered all of the things that had occurred in the last few hours. The arrow had been disconcerting, but more so was the fact that Damon had attacked an original and Klaus didn't even flinch.

In fact, Klaus' whole demeanor changed in an instant. He went from surly to downright giddy.

Stefan didn't know what the answer was, but he was certain Klaus knew a lot more than he was letting on about this hunter, and whatever was going on between Damon and Elena.

With that Stefan made his way out to his car and back into the lion's den.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

He rang the doorbell incessantly until he saw one of Klaus' puppies come scampering to the door.

"What do you want?" He asked as he looked out into the courtyard.

"Is Klaus here?" Stefan asked as he moved passed the hybrid into the foyer.

"He's busy." The lap dog spat.

"Too bad." Stefan said as he headed into the library where they'd left him less than an hour ago.

"Stefan. Did you miss me already?" Klaus said in his typical sing songy voice that usually was a precursor to blood shed.

"Nope. But, I want to know what made you save Elena."

"I'm hurt that you would think I needed any other reason besides the goodness of my heart. But, if you must know I am intrigued. Have you not noticed the bond between the fetching Miss Gilbert and your annoyingly handsome brother?"

"Yes, though I have to say that's partially my fault. Damon had to pick up the pieces when I went off with you remember."

"Oh, I do. And pick them up he did, didn't he?" Klaus said with a knowing smirk.

"What's your point?"

"It was his blood that turned her, no?" Klaus asked.

"Yes. It was."

"And she loved him before she turned, true?"

"Yes, you already know that."

"Ah, but the question is did she love him, love him or was her love projected onto him in your absence?" Klaus wondered.

"Both. I don't know."

"I think you do. I think you know that she was in love with your brother and that's why you wanted her to choose. You knew she would make the safe choice because that's what the old Elena did. Despite your recent hiatus from humanity, you were still the safe bet. But, when she turned she no longer needed your protection or safety. Now, she wants passion and danger and that leads her right back to Damon."

"Look, I get it. I didn't come here for you to analyze my relationship…"

"What if I told you there might be a way for you to put things back the way they were before Rebekah ran her off the bridge?"

"What? How?"

"Ah, now I have you interest. The hunter, he is one of the five, so he has a tattoo that tells us where the spell originated. The kind of magic bestowed upon them is very powerful, and a witch who is capable of that kind of magic could also restore Elena to her human self….provided that she is not bound permanently to her sire."

"Wait, you think she is….you think she's sired….to Damon?"

"Oh worse, much worse my friend. I think he is as much bound to her as she is to him. And that only comes when BOTH vampires are in love with each other. A feat considering I never thought I'd see the day that anyone could get Damon to love anyone but, well….Damon. Or that any woman would ever find a single redeeming quality in your narcissistic, murderous older brother."

"If they are both drawn together by the sire bond, isn't it already too late?" Stefan asked feeling defeated.

"It's only too late if they've allowed the bond to be furthered, and the longer they are together, the harder it will be for them to resist it. Their blood is far more intoxicating to each other than the blood of any human, I'd be surprised if they'd be able to resist it's call."

When Stefan didn't say anything Klaus smiled, "So, we can cross the blood sharing off the list. I bet that was an explosive experience."

"Well, is that it then? Is it too late?" Stefan said as he remembered the conversation he'd had with Elena.

He'd known the second it had come up that it went far beyond any blood sharing experience he'd had. Her heart rate jumped slightly and her body reacted at the mere thought of that experience with Damon. She'd enjoyed it just as much as Damon had, and that had cut him deeper than anything else.

"No. But, I'm guessing by the strength of their bond it won't be long before it is. You see, the hunter's only turn up when something more powerful is about to rise up. I would have liked to think it was my presence, but after what I saw, it might be something else entirely and that has me….interested." Klaus said as he held a hand out towards the couch motioning Stefan to take a seat.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

"How are you feeling?" He whispered.

"I'm feeling like I just got shot with a poisoned arrow." She laughed softly as she held her side in pain.

"Oh, Lena I'm sorry. Don't laugh, okay?" He said as he looked down at her in concern placing a hand over the injury.

"Let me see." He said as he stood and grabbed a t-shirt from his dresser and walked back to the bed.

His hands shook as he reached out allowing them to skim over the sliver of skin above her jeans to shift the fabric up until he could see what was left of the wound.

His fingers were gentle as they slipped over her skin taking stock of every tiny imperfection the hunter's arrow had created. For each drop of her blood that had been spilled, Damon vowed to spill a drop of Connor's.

Without thought, Damon leaned forward and placed his lips against her wound jerking back as he felt the spark pass between them. As he leaned back, he watched the lines that marred her porcelain skin recede just a little bit.

Her eyes were transfixed on his as he bent down to place another kiss along her rib cage with a similar result and watched the changes occur before their eyes once more.

"What the hell?" Damon exclaimed. "Can you feel that, too?"

"Yes." She whispered as she closed her eyes and purred when she felt his tongue lave the largest area of her wound where the skin was still broken and bleeding.

Damon leaned back and stared as the wound closed almost instantly before him still tasting her blood on his lips.

Before he could marvel at the supernatural healing that he'd witness he sailed back with a grunt as she attached her lips to his in an almost feral kiss. Her shirt lay abandoned on his bed as his hands attached themselves to every inch of her exposed flesh allowing his fingertips to ghost the waist of her jeans and the lace band of her bra that still remained against her skin.

Damon smiled to himself, on the verge of purring when she let her teeth graze the column of his neck before gently piercing his skin as he swiped her hair to the side to do the same.

In an instant, she found herself pinned to the bed as he let his body lie flush against hers while they drank from one another. Her hands knotted in the sides of his shirt looking for access until he tore open the buttons exposing his own flesh to hers.

The fire that burned between them was skirting the edge of an inferno until the opening bars of Rockwell's Somebody's Watching Me blared from his phone.

_I always feel like  
Somebody's watching me  
And I have no privacy  
I always feel like  
Somebody's watchin' me  
Tell me is it just a dream_

"What the…." Damon swore as he sat up and pinched the bridge of his nose trying to regain his composure.

"Jeremy, this better be good!" He spat into the phone.

He knew the moment was over the second Elena heard it was Jeremy on the phone and pulled the t-shirt he'd left on the bed for her over her shoulders.

"I thought that might get your attention." Connor said.

"What are you doing with little Gilbert's phone?" Damon asked.

"Well, I was trying to figure out who might be important enough to warrant a little face time with the infamous Salvatore's, and after seeing the way you and your brother reacted to Elena being injured, I figured perhaps her brother would elicit the desired response. Especially given her fragile condition." The hunter answered.

Damon almost responded, but decided perhaps the hunter thinking Elena was gravely ill would come in handy.

"So, what then? Stefan and I show up and you let Little Gilbert go?"

"That's exactly what I'm offering along with Pastor Young's girl and your human blood bag, Matt I believe is his name."

"And where might we find you?" Damon wondered.

"The Grill. We're having a little private party. And be sure and tell your friends that if anyone tries to be a hero, I have no problem killing a bunch of humans."

"What makes you think I care."

"Maybe you don't care about the humans, but I'm betting your girl will not be happy."

"You might have gone a little over board on the wolf juice, she's not going to care either way." Damon said as he smirked to Elena. "She'll never know."

"Maybe not, but you'll have to live with disappointing her and I'm pretty sure that you care about that." Connor said. "Now, you have one hour."

Damon stared at the phone for a moment before he called and informed Stefan and by default Klaus, but he decided an original wasn't a terrible addition to the rescue committee. After instructing them to meet at Alaric's loft across the square, Damon and Elena got changed and headed out.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Klaus and Stefan arrived a few minutes after Damon and Elena and immediately, Klaus took control.

"If I'm going to learn anything about the mark of the five, we need the hunter alive. That means Damon, either you stay under control or I break your neck before you even make it to the front door. Or better yet, I'll break her neck," he said pointing to Elena, "that will keep both of you in line."

"Fine, so what's your plan?" Damon asked.

"Stefan is going to go in through the tunnels. I will wait until they are free then I'm going to go in and take the hunter."

"Just like that? I know that you can't be killed and all but that place is bound to be set up for an ambush. They might not kill you, but you can't just breeze through them."

"Fine. Then you go."

"I like that plan, except for the part where I DIE!" Damon said.

"Doesn't bother me." Klaus said.

"Stop. Stop it!" Elena yelled. "I'll go in. He thinks I'm dead anyway. I can follow Stefan in to avoid some of the traps and lure him into the tunnels once everyone is out. Then you can do whatever you want with him."

"Hmmm. Pretty and smart. I can see why the two of you are tripping all over yourselves." Klaus said as he looked her over. "Fine, I'll let her go."

"Elena, can I talk to you for a second. In private." He said as he glared at Stefan and Klaus.

Klaus nodded and waved for her to go with Damon, "We'll just wait downstairs."

Elena waited as Klaus dragged Stefan out of the room and she heard them move down the stairs before she said, "I'm doing this Damon."

"No. You're not. I can't let you put yourself in front of the hunter. He already tried to kill you once today, and once Klaus has what he wants he's not going to care about whether you live or die. He wants the hunter alive, if you get dead in the process that's just collateral damage!"

"I'm doing this Damon. That's my brother in there and he's the only family I have left. I'm going." She yelled.

"The hunter is dangerous Elena, I can't let you put yourself at risk."

"I'm dangerous, too!" She growled.

"Fine. You want to go charging in and save the day. Fine, but if you get close enough, I don't care what Klaus wants. You kill him, Elena. You hear me? You KILL him before he can kill you."

Elena nodded just as Klaus and Stefan returned.

"Come on Elena." Stefan said as he led her down the hall and towards the basement's boiler room where Klaus' hybrids had opened up an access point.

As soon as they were outside of earshot, Klaus turned to Damon and said, "You don't really expect me to believe you're on board with this, do you?"

A second later, Damon had the Original pinned to the wall as he said, "I don't really care what you think. I have a plan of my own, and it doesn't include killing the hunter."

"I'm listening." Klaus said as he dropped the syringe of vervain he's been planning to use and smiled at this turn of events.

Damon set him back on the floor looking a little confused by the rage and the display of strength, but he let it go and explained as quickly as he could not wanting to leave Elena in harms way any longer than necessary. Klaus couldn't help but smile, the plan really was quite brilliant if it worked.

* * *

Sorry to leave you hanging, but this was going to be an enormous chapter if I didn't cut it off somewhere. I had planned to post this last night and second half today, but I couldn't get the chapter to load on FF last night. Just a lot of error messages, etc. Good times. If I can, I will try to finish up the second half this afternoon and update again tonight. Hope you like the chapter…can't wait to get the next one up :)

Livia


	10. Killing Man

**Killing Man**

**As usual, I do not own The Vampire Diaries or its Characters. No copyright infringement intended!**

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I didn't get this up yesterday but I had a deadline get moved up at work and ended up working until well past 10pm. Anyway, I hope your ready to see what Damon has planned :)

As to reviewers, thank you so much for taking the time to review. I love them all. There was one review in particular that had a number of people PM'ing me or commenting in reviews. Thank you so much for coming to my defense, but I don't think the reviewer intended it as a negative or as an insult. It was simply an opinion. In reality, I am not against Stefan…I just happen to think Damon is considerably more interesting :)

Besides, we all learn more from critiques than praise, I think. As long as no one is being mean or getting personal, I am okay with all of it. But, I do thank you for having my back either way :P

At the end of the day, I realize not everyone will enjoy my story…and that's alright. Of course, I hope that everyone does, but I try to be realistic :)

Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviews and reads, etc. I hope you enjoy this one!

XOXO

Livi

* * *

_Now if I said that I was sorry,  
Would you forget the things I've done.  
I don't know why I even worry,  
I don't believe in anyone._

_'Cause in my dreams I'm still running,  
From the demons and the ghosts.  
That in the night I hear coming,  
They're coming back for what I stole.  
'Cause I am a killing man._

_Killing Man by Jack Savoretti_

Elena and Stefan had managed to access the tunnels and arrived at the cellar beneath the grill.

"Stay here." Stefan said as he snuck into the kitchen spotting Matt and April.

She started to scream before Stefan clamped a hand over her mouth and whispered to Matt, "I need you to go back out through the tunnels. Go find Caroline and…Sheriff Forbes. They'll help you."

Matt nodded in understanding before turning to April and saying, "We'll find Care, she'll help you. Then we can talk to Sheriff Forbes."

Stefan and Matt both knew talking to Sheriff Forbes wouldn't be necessary after the girl spoke to Caroline, but they wanted her to stay calm.

Stefan waited until they were safely out of the tunnel before he jumped back down to join Elena. The two of them tucked themselves into darkened caverns and then Elena let out her most blood curdling scream hoping that would draw the hunter.

They listened closely until they heard someone get pushed down into the tunnel followed by a second set of boots hitting the ground.

"Show yourselves or I'll kill him right now." Connor bellowed holding a knife to Jeremy's throat.

"Let him go, and I'll consider killing you quickly." Elena said as she stepped out of the darkness allowing the black shadows to emerge under her skin and baring her lethal bite.

"How are you? I….shot you full of wolf venom…." The hunter stammered.

"Hmmm. I guess you got the formula wrong." She said.

"No. I couldn't have. I didn't."

"You did." She offered.

"Did you know that your brother here is going to be a hunter?" Connor asked.

When she said nothing, he kept talking.

"He can see my hunter's mark, only another hunter can. So, if you kill me you are forcing your brother to become like me. To HUNT you." He said reaching for a way to ensure his safety.

He knew that if she had helped the others escape, she probably wasn't the only vampire lurking in the shadows.

"Let him go, and I won't kill you." Elena said calmly.

"What's to stop your friends from killing me?" He asked.

"Well, they want something from you, so THEY are safe as kittens. On the other hand, if you kill my brother, I have nothing left to lose. So, I'd weigh your options carefully."

The hunter considered the options before snapping Jeremy's neck and shoving him off to the side, causing Elena to growl and launch herself at the hunter latching onto his neck with vicious intent. Connor slashed at her arms and stabbed her with his knife, but she just kept feeding un-phased by the metal blade. It stung her with vervain, but she was in a murderous rage, so pain was not a concern at the moment.

"Elena stop!" Stefan yelled. "You'll kill him."

"What makes you think I don't want him dead?" She growled as the hunter's blood dripped from her chin.

"You don't want this on your head. Elena, please." Stefan pleaded.

She released Connor carefully and whispered, "My brother will survive this, but you're going to wish you hadn't."

He was still fighting unconsciousness from the wounds, when Damon and Klaus rounded the corner.

A second later all hell broke loose as Connor lifted his head and fired a stake at Damon hitting him just a fraction off from the heart.

"All bets are off." Damon grunted as he yanked the stake from his chest and bolted for the hunter.

Elena looked back at Damon and relief flooded over her, but it was quickly replaced by fury as she wrapped her arms around Connor's neck and jerked as hard as she could. Connor flopped to the ground in a lifeless heap as she heard Klaus and Stefan yell, "No!"

Klaus slid to the ground and shook his head as he stared at the dead hunter.

"Maybe Jeremy can still see the mark when he's dead." Stefan offered.

"Jeremy should have his own mark now if the hunter was right." Klaus said. "You're going to have a whole new problem on your hands trying to keep him from killing his sister and the rest of you. Looks like the family just got a little more dysfunctional."

As Klaus spoke, Elena stood over her brother waiting for him to come around.

Damon carefully leaned in beside her and wiped the blood from her chin as he whispered, "He's going to be okay."

"I know, but what if the hunter was right? What if he's a hunter?" She asked.

As Jeremy started to come around, Damon replied, "All the more reason for me to get you out of here. Klaus and Stefan can get him home. You and I have a hunter to bury."

Elena reached over and brushed the hair from Jeremy's forehead before she turned and followed Damon through the tunnels as he carried Connor's body. They headed right to the Lockwood's cellar and buried him deep in the woods behind their estate.

Damon watched Elena carefully as she paced back and forth, "Stefan promised he wouldn't let me kill him, but I just couldn't stop myself. When he tried to kill you there was nothing that would have stopped me, I didn't think about Jeremy, or blood or anything else, just you Damon. All I could think about was how close he'd been to killing you."

"I know, and I'm so sorry that you had to make that choice for me. I should never have let you anywhere near those tunnels. I could have made my plan work without you, I'm sure of it."

"It doesn't matter now. He's dead." She cried. "And I killed him."

"I know, Lena. It was bound to happen. We just have to figure out how to get you passed it now." Damon said as he threw the last shovel full of dirt over the hunter's body.

"How do I do that, Damon? I killed a man and I probably just sentenced my brother to a life surrounded by murderous manipulative bastards like Klaus, who is at this very moment "looking after" my brother. Damon, how is any of this okay?" She wailed.

"I don't know Elena, I wish I had the answers. But, I don't. We will get through this. I will get you through this!" He shouted back at her. "I can't fix this, but I will do everything I can to see you and Jeremy through it, whatever comes. Stefan will, too."

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

As Jeremy opened his eyes he looked around for Elena and the hunter. The last thing he remembered was his sister looking like she was going to tear Connor apart, but neither of them were anywhere in sight now.

"How are you feeling?" Stefan asked.

"Where's my sister?"

"With Damon. She's fine. How are you?" Stefan redirected.

"I'm fine. What the hell happened?"

"Let's get you home first, then…" Stefan started.

Klaus interrupted as he said, "Cliff notes, the hunter killed you, your sister bit him, he tried to kill Damon and your sister broke his neck. Now, do you have a mark?"

Jeremy looked down at his hands and saw nothing.

He shook his head and said, "No. No mark. So that means the hunter was just trying to manipulate me, right?"

Klaus looked enraged by that realization as he advanced on the younger Gilbert, "But you saw his mark!"

"Yes, I did." He stammered.

"Klaus, stop!" Stefan yelled. "It probably doesn't appear instantly, and who knows what the effects of his being dead might have had. Maybe he was passed over since he wasn't technically alive when the hunter died."

"Great, then who knows when and where the next hunter will pop up!" Klaus ranted.

"Well, if what you say about the sire bond is true, I'm guessing another one might show up here sooner rather than later." Stefan said.

"Sire bond? What are you talking about?" Jeremy asked.

"Seems like your sister is bonded to Damon. As long as they are, the hunter will come." Stefan told him.

"Oh come on Stefan, you're leaving out the good part. The part where Damon is bonded to Elena, too." Klaus shared gleefully.

"What?" Jeremy asked. "She can't be…."

Stefan just nodded sadly in confirmation.

"So break the bond!" Jeremy shouted.

"It's not that simple." Stefan started.

"The only way to break the bond is with black magic. The kind of magic that was used to create The Five, and unfortunately the only way to find a witch with that kind of power is to find a hunter and fully develop their mark." Klaus finished.

"So do it!"

"Oh I'd love to, but sister dear killed the hunter, you don't have the mark and we're running out of time." Klaus spat.

"Time? I thought all you had is time, since you can't die!" Jeremy said.

"You want to take this one?" Klaus said as he pointed to Stefan.

"Because the sire bond is effecting both Elena and Damon, they are drawn to each other and the closer they get the harder it is for them to resist the bond. If they complete the bond, no magic can undo it." Stefan said sounding defeated.

"What do you mean complete the bond?" Jeremy asked despite having a pretty good idea of what the answer was.

"Well little Gilbert, when two people love each other…." Klaus started with a smirk before Stefan turned a glare on him and said, "Shut up Klaus!"

Klaus just held his hands up and let Stefan talk.

"Elena and Damon have already activated the bond, by sharing their blood, if they….consummate their relationship the bond can never be severed."

"How did this happen? How could you let this happen?"

"When she died, it was Damon's blood in her system." Stefan answered.

"So, Katherine turned Caroline but she isn't sired to her."

"Oh, but wouldn't that be entertaining." Klaus interjected.

Stefan and Jeremy both glared at the original, so once again he held up his hands and said, "Shutting up."

"It doesn't work like that. The person who is 'sired' has to be in love with the one who 'sired' them. Elena loved Damon before she died."

"So what! She loved you, too. Besides, Damon can't love my sister, he doesn't care about anyone but himself."

"It doesn't matter. Her love for Damon was there already, and as it turns out there is one person on this earth that Damon loves more than anything else."

"The sire bond is always one sided, in my experience the only way a sire bond can go both ways is if their feelings exist before turning." Klaus offered. "It's rare. I've only seen it happen once before."

"So what happens if you find this witch?" Jeremy asked.

"She has a chance to be human again." Stefan said.

"And if you don't, what happens to my sister?"

"She stays a vampire, and she stays with Damon." Stefan said.

"Well, there's a little more to it than that…." Klaus added as Stefan and Jeremy turned in his direction.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Damon carefully led Elena back to her house his heart ached knowing that she had taken the hunter's life to protect him.

He could hear her in the shower; it did nothing to mask the sounds of her sobs to his vampire hearing. He wanted nothing more than to go in there and comfort her, but he knew she wanted to be alone.

On the other side of the door, Elena sat under the spray of water watching the hunter's blood run down the drain. Her head was full of remorse, but that protective instinct still lingered. Damon had been in danger and his words just rang through her head, "If you get close enough, kill him."

So, she did.

As the water began to run cold, she reached over to shut it off before pulling a towel off the rack and stepping out of the shower. The instant her feet hit the tile they sailed out from under her.

When she sat up she saw blood splattered across every surface, surrounding her and covering her skin all over again. A scream tore from her throat as she read the word KILLER scrawled in blood across the mirror and Damon came flying into the room.

"Elena, what's wrong?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground.

"The blood, it's everywhere!" She shouted hysterically.

"No, Elena it's gone. It's all gone." He whispered reassuringly as he turned her hands over in his own.

"Can't you see it?" She asked as she looked at his hands now covered in blood, too.

"Lena. You're okay." He whispered again as she clamped her eyes shut.

When she opened her eyes, the room was clean. Not a drop of blood in sight.

"It was everywhere, and now it's gone! What's happening to me?" She cried as she looked up into Damon's worried eyes.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." Damon said as he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to her bed where he laid her down and carefully settled in behind her. "It's going to be okay Elena."

An hour later, Klaus called Damon wondering how Elena was doing.

"Is she hallucinating yet?" Klaus asked.

"Yes." Damon answered.

Klaus had been hoping for a different response, because that one meant that there was no new hunter in their midst, Jeremy had been passed over.

* * *

Well, what do you think? I hope that you liked it. Bet you're wondering what Damon's brilliant plan was…not to worry it's bound to come up at some point, you know how Klaus likes to revel in the failure of others when he's angry :)

I am planning to post at least one more chapter and perhaps an Alaric outtake (because you guys are awesome and it's the holidays!) before Christmas Eve.

But, do have a Happy Holiday in case I forget to mention it later :)

Livi


	11. We Are Broken

**We Are Broken**

**No Copyright infringement intended. I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of the amazing characters who reside in Mystic Falls.**

I hope that you all are ready for this…the rating will be changing in the next chapter or two. Not sure when exactly, but it will change soon :)

I continue to be overwhelmed by all of the views and reviews. It's crazy. I also wanted to take a second to respond to a couple of reviewers who were anon or disabled PM's , thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I really do love to hear from everyone.

Also want to take a sec to say thanks to my friend and housemate Erin who has Beta'd a few of the chapters. She hates that I won't even tall her what I am up to.

Also, another reviewer brought up that Caroline died with Damon's blood in her system and not Katherine's as mentioned in the last chapter, so I thought I'd clarify really quickly…in my story she died with Katherine's blood in her system. And also, Damon has never experienced a sire bond before, nor has anyone but Klaus ever been witness to one, particularly one such as this. I hope that clears things up. There are sure to be a couple of inconsistencies from my story to the show as I am changing it up quite a bit, but I assure you they'll have a purpose :) But do feel free to call me on it if I make a mistake...just in case it really is one :) Hopefully I won't...

Having said that, how about we get on to the new chapter!

XOXO

Livi

* * *

_I am outside_  
_And I've been waiting for the sun_  
_With my wide eyes_  
_I've seen worlds that don't belong_  
_My mouth is dry with words I cannot verbalize_  
_Tell me why we live like this_

_Keep me safe inside_  
_Your arms like towers_  
_Tower over me_

_Yeah,'Cause we are broken_  
_What must we do to restore_  
_Our innocence_  
_And oh, the promise we adored_  
_Give us life again_  
_'Cause we just wanna be whole_

_We Are Broken by Paramore_

Klaus closed his eyes as he listened to Damon speak.

"What is it?" Damon asked.

"She's hallucinating, it's what happens to a vampire when they kill one of the five." Klaus shared.

"How do we stop it?"

"We can't. At least not until another hunter turns up, and the catch there is he has to kill a vampire to free her from the hallucinations which will eventually drive her to the brink of insanity until she ends her own suffering." Klaus said. "I know this because I killed one of the five a long time ago, and I would have done anything to die. The problem with Elena is that she CAN die, where I couldn't no matter how badly I may have wanted to."

"Then I'll just stay with her. I'll lock her in the cellar if I have to." Damon said. "Just find a hunter!"

"Well, it seems one should turn up eventually given your….situation." Klaus added.

"Situation?" Damon asked.

"Stefan didn't tell you, did he?" Klaus said with amusement in his tone.

"It would seem not. What exactly am I missing?" Damon asked with annoyance.

"Seems that you and Elena share a very unique bond." Klaus said.

"A sire bond? I already could have guessed that. My understanding is they can't occur unless she already loved me. So, I'm not sure what's got Stefan's panties in such a twist, apart from not getting the girl this time."

"I do so love your sibling rivalry. I'll collect your dear old brother and pop in for a visit, we can explain then." Klaus said as he hung up on Damon.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Damon watched Elena carefully as she slept. It was not peaceful, but she was still with him. He just wouldn't let her out of his sight until she was safe again.

He made his way down to the kitchen and grabbed a blood bag for her then returned to her room.

"Elena, you should drink this." He whispered as he brushed the hair from her face.

When she opened her eyes, they darted around in a panic almost as if she had no idea where she was.

"It's okay, Lena. We're in your house and you're safe. I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you." He whispered as he tore a small hole in the bag and handed it to her.

"You need to drink now." He said.

She immediately gulped down the blood as she stared into his eyes. She still looked around like a scared little bird, but she wasn't going to starve for the moment which helped put Damon at ease.

As soon as she finished, the mood shifted once again. Elena stood up and stared right through Damon.

"No. No. You're dead." She whispered.

Instead of seeing Damon, she now saw Connor.

"You're a monster. Look at you, blood dripping down your chin. How long do you think it will be until that blood belongs to someone you care about, your brother, or your human blood bag friend, maybe even Pastor Young's daughter, April. How can you live with the prospect of murdering one of your friends? Or maybe all of them?" Connor asked.

Elena ran to the mirror and rubbed at the blood that coated her lips, "Oh god. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Elena, it's okay. I'm right here." Damon said to her penetrating the bubble of her hallucination, but by the time she turned back to him it was Connor once again.

"What about the Salvatore brothers? How long do you think they'll be able to keep cleaning up your messes? How long do you think they'll want to?" Connor wondered.

"Damon loves me." She answered.

"Damon wants a bed mate, a companion. He doesn't love you." Connor spat.

"That's not true." She cried.

"Oh but it is. His brother is out there right now trying to find a way to break the sire bond so he can set his brother free." Connor laughed. "Free from you."

"Sire bond?" She asked.

"You didn't know? What you feel for Damon is simply a product of dying with his blood in your system. The feelings aren't real. He doesn't love you and now neither does Stefan."

"No. That's not true." Elena growled as she snapped off the post on her bed and jammed it into the hunter's abdomen.

"Elena, STOP! You're killing me." Damon gasped as she pushed the wooden post hard into his flesh, then watched the horror flash over her face as she realized what she had done.

"Oh god, Damon!" She shouted as she carefully pulled the post out. "I'm so sorry."

Damon smiled in reassurance, but she could see the pain that he was trying to mask. She leaned forward and pressed her wrist to his mouth allowing him to drink from her in hopes that she could alleviate his pain. Pain she had caused.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered as she held him to her. "I'm so sorry."

A moment later, Damon pulled her down so she was straddling his lap and whispered, "You belong with me. And I will forever be yours, no matter what. We will get through this, Elena. Together."

She leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his lips before she sat up and stared into his crystal blue eyes.

"Am I sired to you?" She asked.

"Is that what your hallucination told you?" Damon wondered.

"Yes."

"Maybe you are, but I am equally drawn to you and as far as I know sire bonds are a one sided endeavor. Doesn't this feel real to you?" He asked as he kissed her firmly winding his fingers through her hair.

"And this?" He said as he kissed her throat and allowed his hands to run down her sides to her hips pressing her body flush to his.

"I love you Elena, and I was in love with you long before you were a vampire."

"I love you, too Damon." She whispered as she kissed his neck.

When she felt his teeth graze her shoulder moments before he let them penetrate her skin she moaned and followed suit. His blood was sweet on her lips as she banished all thoughts of the hunter for the moment.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

When no one came to the door Stefan pulled his key from his pocket and entered. He could hear movement upstairs, so he sprinted to the top of the stairs with Klaus hot on his heels and swung the door open, but what he saw was like a dagger to the heart.

Damon was on the floor with Elena straddled over his lap writhing against him as they fed from one another, and it was clear that they were both enjoying the experience very much in spite of the layers of clothing between them.

Stefan turned and closed the door quietly and sat down on the top of the stairs feeling defeated.

"Not prepared for that, were you?" Klaus asked.

"It's one thing to know it happened. It's another to see it with my own eyes. We need to break the bond. I can't watch her with my brother." Stefan said.

"Then we need to find a hunter."

"How?"

"Get Jeremy to kill a vampire. Maybe he doesn't have a mark because he hasn't killed yet." Klaus offered.

"NO! You are not going to use my brother as a guinea pig. If he isn't a hunter and you make him kill someone, he'll have to live with that forever." Elena yelled as she opened the door.

"We need to do something, I can't watch this…" Stefan pointed between Damon and Elena. "For the rest of eternity."

"What does Jeremy killing a vampire have to do with Damon and I?" She shouted.

"If he's a hunter, it will stop you from hallucinating." Klaus said.

"That would be good." Damon said as he pointed to the large hole in his shirt where she'd stabbed him and the red marks that still marred his torso.

"She seems to be good right now…"Klaus said. "Remarkably so in fact, maybe Jeremy is the new hunter after all."

"Fine, but then Klaus has to compel him to forget if he isn't the next hunter." Damon said as Elena shot him a look.

"Compel him anyway!" Elena said. "I don't want him to hunt us all. I don't want that life for him, for any of us."

"It's not that simple." Klaus said. "We need to read the mark, and the only way to do that is to grow the mark."

"Why is the mark so important?" Elena asked.

"Elena, the mark is the key to breaking the sire bond and hopefully making you human again." Stefan said.

"Why is that so important to you Stefan? Is it because it's what's best for me or is it because you couldn't love me like this?" She asked as she let the darkness show across her face.

She shook her head when Stefan wouldn't even look her in the eye.

"That's what I thought, Stefan."

"Lena, if that's what you want…to be human. I'm fine with you either way." Damon offered.

Stefan huffed in disbelief at the situation.

"Stefan, what if I don't want to break the sire bond?"

Klaus had been deep in thought for a moment, but all of a sudden he spoke up as if clarity had just rained over him.

"How did you stop her from killing you Damon?" Klaus said as he pointed to his mostly healed wound.

"I don't know. I told her to stop." He replied.

"That's it? Stop." Klaus added.

"I think I told her she was killing me."

"And what happened Elena?" Klaus asked her.

"I was seeing the hunter, and he was telling me Damon didn't love me and that I was just his bed mate. That I would kill everyone I cared about. Then all of a sudden all I saw were Damon's blue eyes as he told me to stop. I could feel the burn of the post as if it had pierced my flesh when I stared into his eyes and the thought of killing him made me want to die also, so I stopped."

"Even I couldn't stop myself from hurting the ones I loved." Klaus shared. "I'm certain you are not merely bound by a sire bond. He's bound to you, too. He can't live without you and ending his life would end yours as well."

"What?" Damon and Elena both said.

"Over a thousand years ago, this happened to another pair of vampires. They were mated. That's what my mother called it. When two vampires share a bond so strong it is unbreakable even in death." Klaus offered.

"And you think that's what we have?" Damon asked.

"Well, there's one way to find out. Tell her to forget about you. That it would make you happy if she never thought of you again." Stefan said.

Damon looked at Klaus who said, "If she's mated to you that won't be enough. But, if it's a sire bond she won't remember you at all."

Damon felt the fear exploding in his chest, but he knew Stefan would never leave it alone if he didn't do this.

When Damon turned towards Elena, tears fell from her lashes.

"Damon, don't. What if it isn't? What if it's just a sire bond? I don't want to lose you. I can't lose you. I won't survive it." She cried.

Damon kissed her with every ounce of love he had and then rested his forehead against hers before he looked directly into her eyes. Tears flowed freely from his blue eyes as he spoke, "Elena, I need you to forget about me. Forget about our love, our friendship, all of it. If we pass on the street, you will see a complete stranger not a man that you love. You will do this because that is what will make me truly happy."

Damon kissed her softly before he looked hopefully into her deep brown eyes.

For a moment, she just stared at him hurt and confusion evident on her face and then nothing. She looked from Stefan to Klaus before her eyes landed back on Damon's. What came next was completely unexpected.

Damon fell backwards as Elena's hand connected with his cheek before she lunged at him covering his lips with hers in a bruising kiss.

"Don't you EVER do that to me again!" She shouted in between kisses. "Never."

A smile graced his lips as he returned the kiss.

Klaus clapped Stefan on the shoulder and led him downstairs as he said, "Well, now I've seen it happen twice. I'm sorry friend they're definitely mated."

"But, it's still breakable as long as they don't…"

"Yes, but from the looks of things the window is closing rapidly." Klaus said as he pointed to the pair still kissing at the top of the stairs. "And based on that display a few moments ago, I'm not sure there is anyway you can stop it if it's what they both want."

"I have to." Stefan said sounding broken over the recent turn of events.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Later, when darkness fell over Mystic Falls, a young girl screamed as a vampire attacked her in an alley off the town square. Before he managed to bite her, a hunter emerged and staked him through the heart.

"Thank you!" The girl cried.

The man nodded in her direction, but as he turned to head back into the shadows he'd come out of he smelled it. Fresh blood dripped from her knee and the coppery tang hung in the air between them.

When she turned back to look at her savior, a scream bubbled up from her lungs. But it was silenced before it could be heard as she saw red eyes and black veins protruding moments before he tore her throat open and drained her of blood.

* * *

Uh-oh….Merry Christmas and please don't kill me for the tiny cliffhanger :)

I hope you liked the chapter. I am working on an outtake that I hope to get up tonight or tomorrow, and two more regular chapters in the next few days. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Livia


	12. Outtake 1: Merry Christmas

**Alaric dream outtake**

**As per usual…I do not own The Vampire Diaries or it's characters, but I sure to love them anyway :)**

Posting this early because you guys are AMAZING…10 minutes after chapter 11 went up, it registered over 200 views. IN 10 MINUTES! Thank you so much for supporting this story, I love writing it and have no plans to stop anytime soon!

So, here we go with one more dream sequence. This is strictly fluff and a little Christmas fun! No plot or very little drama here. There will be plenty of time for that next chapter :)

xoxo

Livi

* * *

After Klaus and Stefan left, Damon stared at Elena and said, "I'm sorry. I had to prove to Stefan that what we have isn't just because of whose blood was in your system. He needed to see that I love you just as much as ever and that I'll love you anyway I can have you, human or vampire."

"What would you have done if I'd forgotten?" She asked.

"My heart would have been shattered." He said as he shuddered. "But, every part of me told me this was real and that our bond wouldn't be so easily broken."

"Damon, the new hunter is out there…he has to be. My hallucinations have stopped. What if what Klaus says is true, what if it's Jer?"

"I can make you forget for a little while, would you like me to do that?"

She nodded.

He led her to the couch in the living room and turned the lights down low before joining her, pulling her over so that her head rested against his chest as he reclined back against the armrest.

"What would you like to watch tonight, home movies with Jenna and Alaric, romance with me of course, a little of both perhaps." Damon smiled as he offered an assortment of dreams to replace the nightmares.

"You. I want to dream about you. And Christmas." She whispered with a bright smile.

"Hmmm. What kind of ratings are we talking about?" Damon asked as he watched her with his piercing blue eyes and a sexy smirk.

"Damon." She whined rather unconvincingly.

"PG-13, then?" Damon asked. "Can I at least make it late night premium channels?"

Elena laughed and it made him smile.

"Fine, I'll censor the dreams." Damon laughed. "Close your eyes."

She did as he asked before she let her cheek rest against his chest, within moments she was transported to a candlelit room, at first the focus was that of a pinpoint only allowing her to see what was within the confines of the space, but as she drifted deeper into the dream the world around her came into focus as well.

She was in the living room at her parent's lake house, and it was all decorated for Christmas. She turned in towards the fireplace and saw the stockings bearing the names of those she so desperately wanted with her.

Jeremy, Jenna, Alaric, and Damon.

A noise behind her drew her attention instantly, as she turned towards the movement her breath hung in the air. There stood Damon Salvatore in a steely grey suit with a navy blue button down shirt that was open at the collar and made his blue eyes look even more devastating. And the sexy little smirk was enough to make her want to change the ratings.

"Remember, I am a part of your thoughts princess, and I'd be more than happy to change the rating." He whispered. "You look beautiful by the way."

His comment shook her from her reverie as she glanced down at the stunning navy blue sheath dress that hugged her curves perfectly.

She glanced up at him and smiled in approval as she watched him pull a tiny present from under the tree before holding it out towards her.

"For me?" She asked.

Damon just smiled and set the box in her hand with a nod.

Elena pulled the ribbon from the box and carefully removed the lid revealing a charm bracelet. She smiled up at Damon as she lifted it from the box and began to inspect the charms that he'd selected.

The first, a crescent moon, when she looked at Damon he whispered, "You were standing in the moonlight the first time I met you."

As she let her fingers coast over the next one, she smiled recognizing the pompom.

"I always did have a thing for this cheerleader." He whispered as his fingers brushed her cheek.

The third charm made her giggle as she turned the tiny silver dream catcher over in her fingers.

"I'll always keep you safe. Even in your dreams." He whispered close to her ear as his lips lingered against her neck.

The last charm was a tiny heart shaped locket, it opened into a four leaf clover shape and revealed tiny pictures of her loved ones, her parents, Jer, Ric and Jenna and finally her and Damon as they'd danced at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant last year.

"Oh Damon, it's perfect." She cooed as he moved to clasp the bracelet around her delicate wrist.

"It makes me happy to see you smile." He told her as he led her back towards the fireplace to stand under the sprig of Mistletoe that her aunt Jenna had been so fond of hanging.

When he was satisfied that he'd gotten her into position, he looked up at the plant, then back at Elena before he leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss. He could feel the smile forming on her lips as they moved against his and it made his heart trip just the tiniest bit until he heard a throat clear.

Damon turned towards the noise and looked on with a smile as he heard Elena squeal in delight. Jeremy, Alaric and Jenna stood before them smiling at having caught them mid-kiss.

When Damon shook his head, Ric just gave him a wink, "Good to see you friend."

Damon couldn't help the smile that was reserved only for Elena. It was good to see her enjoy one normal moment with family without the shroud of grief that had followed her over the past four years, even if it was the product of his supernatural intervention.

Damon sipped his scotch as he watched Elena, Jeremy and Jenna exchange gifts and reminisce about Christmas' past when her parents were alive.

"I leave you alone for five minutes and you let her die, turn her into a vampire AND put the moves on her?" Ric joked.

"Well, technically speaking it was your fault. If you hadn't gone all rogue hunter, Rebekah would have left her alone and focused her torment on me. And Dr. Fell jacked my blood, so the only thing I can take the blame for is putting the moves on her but, I've been doing that for years." Damon replied with a smirk.

Ric laughed as he said, "She looks happy, and I never thought I'd see the day, but so do you. Hell, this is the first time I've sat beside you and not felt like a stray match tossed in your general vicinity would cause you to burst into flames like the vamp version of a Molotov cocktail."

Damon nearly snorted he laughed so hard, "Not nearly as many sorrows to drown when she's around."

"I'm betting Stefan has taken up residence in the bottom of whatever bottle you abandoned then?" Ric asked.

"Probably accurate. He's not too excited about this development, in fact dead set against it is an understatement even though a few stolen kisses is all he really has to freak out about for now."

"And a little mutual blood sharing." Alaric added as he quirked an eyebrow at Damon's lie of omission.

Damon shrugged his shoulders knowing that Ric was at least in part rooted in his own conscience so it seemed fair that he would call him out on the blood sharing.

"You take good care of her, she's going to need you now more than ever. Besides, I wouldn't want to have to come back and haunt your ass."

"I will. I would lay down my life for her, Ric. In a heartbeat, no question." Damon said solemnly as he made his way over to sit with Elena next to the tree.

"I know you would." Ric said to himself as he watched the smile bloom on Elena's face before he, Jenna and Jeremy retreated into the shadows of their Christmas hideaway.

"So, what do you think…Did I do good?" He asked.

"How come you never let people see how good you are?" She wondered.

"Only you. When People see good they expect good, I find it easier to keep expectations low then I don't have to worry about seeing the disappointment on everyone's faces when I screw up. But, you…I've never wanted so badly to be good enough for anyone in my life. I want to be good enough for you." He whispered as he pushed the curtain of her hair back over her shoulder.

"I want to tell you something, but I don't want to say it here. I want you to take me back." She whispered.

A moment later, she opened her eyes and stared into Damon's sky blue gaze.

"Damon, one of the things I love about you is that you never hide who you really are. You wear your heart on your sleeve even when you don't want anyone to see it. I mean if you were really the soulless ass you pretended to be, I wouldn't have just spent Christmas with my family a little bit ago or be twirling such a thoughtful gift…" Elena stopped as she realized she really was twirling that charm bracelet around her wrist, and it was the very same one he'd given to her in her dream.

"Damon, how?" She asked.

He smiled as he pressed his lips to her ear and whispered, "Merry Christmas."

"We still have a week before Christmas." She told him.

"And I still have a week worth of charms, your point?" He asked with a smirk.

"I love you, Damon." She whispered as she threaded her fingers through his hair and brought his lips to hers.

"I love you, too Princess." Damon said as he carried her back into the dream where they danced before the fire until sleep finally took over.

* * *

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you! I hope you enjoyed this short little outtake, I have another one that I'll share a little later in the story, too.

XOXO

Livia


	13. Cry With You

**Cry With You**

**Sadly, I am in no way responsible for the genius that is The Vampire Diaries. No Copyright infringement intended as always, I am just enjoying playing in their world for a bit.**

First of all, if I could write this story 24 hours a day based on your responses, I so would :) The story got over 1000 views in less than 7 hours last night (in the middle of the night no less)! You guys are amazing and it really does make me wish I could post 10 chapters a day :)

Thank you to everyone who is reading, supporting, enjoying, reviewing and rec'ing my story! I appreciate it more than I could ever tell you.

To the anon reviewers, reviewers with PM disabled and the guest who left maybe one of the nicest reviews I've ever gotten this morning, thank you so much. I appreciate ALL of the reviews more than you know :)

On to the next chapter.

_******If you have not put the story on alert, please do so as the rating will change next chapter and it can make it harder to find since it won't show up on the main page without changing the ratings filter. This is the last T rated chapter.**_

I hope you enjoy!

XOXO

Livia

* * *

_When you try not to look at me_  
_Scared that I'll see you hurting_  
_You're not hiding anything, no_  
_And frankly it's got me worried_  
_Nobody knows you better than I do_  
_I keep my promises, I'm fighting for you_

_You're not alone_  
_I'll listen till your tears give out_  
_You're safe and sound, I swear that I won't let you down_  
_What's hurting you I, I feel it too_  
_I mean it when I say_  
_When you cry, I cry with you, oh_  
_Yeah, I cry with you_

_You need love tough enough to count on_  
_So here I am_

_Cry with You by Hunter Hayes_

Damon woke with a start, a smile remained on his lips as he found himself surrounded by Elena. Her arm was draped across his chest with her hand resting over his heart and her head resting just under his chin.

"Mmmm. Good Morning princess." He whispered.

"Morning." She whispered as she kissed him.

"How are you feeling?" Damon wondered.

"Remarkably good, but I should be asking you." She said as she let her hand caress his skin where just a few hours earlier she had stabbed him.

Damon stilled the motion of her fingers, not because it caused him pain…instead the touch made it hard for him to think straight.

"I'm fine. Like it never happened." Damon said as he closed his eyes and shifted a bit uncomfortably beneath her.

Elena looked confused for a moment, but then a realization dawned. One that made her feel powerful, happy and more than a little hot.

She followed his movement until her body lay flush above his and deepened their kiss as he whined just slightly causing her to grab onto his hands and pin them beside his head for leverage.

Every part of her could feel that he wanted this, but something was holding him back.

"What is it, Damon?" She asked.

"I want this. You. So badly, I do, but not like this. Not like a couple of horny teenagers." Damon smiled looking conflicted. "I'm want to take my time with you, to enjoy every inch of you, and right now I am so close to saying screw it and taking you in a rush. I love you so much and I just want to show you."

Elena just smiled at him and slowed the kisses down to a languid tempo letting her fingers brush through his hair.

"I'm good with this either way." She said as she used his words from the night before.

Just then, the bell saved them as Damon's phone began to ring.

_I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy._

Rang over the line and Elena couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Morning Liz. Who died?" Damon asked sounding a little short on patience.

"A young girl in an alley. She was completely drained of blood and her throat was ripped out."

Damon closed his eyes as a vision of Stefan's pain from last night drifted over him, did they hurt him enough to flip the switch on his humanity? Would he really kill a young girl and leave her out in the open?

"I'll see what I can find out." Damon responded. "I'm going to need to see her."

"I'll meet you at the morgue in half an hour." Sheriff Forbes offered.

"See you then." Damon returned.

With that, Damon got up and turned on the shower, "Care to join me?"

"If I do, you know what's going to happen. And we'll most certainly be late." Elena said with a smile.

"True. Rain check?" He smirked.

"Yes, please!" She replied.

As Damon showered, Elena made her way downstairs to find Jeremy in the kitchen making coffee.

"How long have you been here?" She asked.

"About an hour. I stayed at the boarding house last night, Stefan and Klaus wanted to make sure the mark didn't show up. Damon didn't come home last night, I assume he was with you?"

"Yes. He was. So, did the mark show up?" She asked. "They didn't make you…"

"Kill anyone? No. They think I got passed over since I was technically dead when the hunter died. Besides, Klaus is sure there is a hunter in Mystic Falls. He said your hallucinations stopped."

"They did. But, I tried to kill Damon first."

"You did? Is he okay?" Jeremy asked.

"He's fine, thank god. He told me to stop and I did."

"I didn't think the sire bond was so powerful." Jeremy said.

"It's not. Damon invoked the sire bond last night. He told me to forget him and walk away." She told him.

"How does that work when he doesn't leave?" Jeremy asked.

"He didn't leave because I couldn't...no, I wouldn't forget him. Klaus thinks that we are mated, which as he explained it is a bond that can not be broken even in death."

Jeremy knew that Stefan and Klaus hadn't told them everything, Stefan had begged him not to say anything about them breaking the bond or about how they could stop all their efforts and complete the bond, but a part of him saw how happy she was with Damon. He'd also seen what Stefan going off the rails had done to her last year, and deep down he knew that even though Damon was an ass sometimes, he always tried to do right by Elena. He just couldn't stop himself from sharing what he knew with her.

"You need to sleep together!" Jeremy blurted out.

"What?" Damon said at the same time Elena turned thirty shades of red and shouted the same thing.

"Lena, does he make you happy?"

"Yes. He does, Jer. He really does." Elena answered as she looked into Damon's crystal blue eyes.

"Damon, after Alaric died, he came to me. He made me promise not to let you go off the rails. I don't think I can do that, but I think she can. If you love each other, then you need to do everything you can to hold onto that. Stefan and Klaus are looking for a way to undo this, the only way for you to ensure they can't break the bond is to sleep together." Jeremy said looked all kinds of uncomfortable.

'Wait a minute, your telling me that if I make love to Elena that the bond is really unbreakable."

"Wow, when you put it like that it kind of creeps me out." Jeremy said as he shivered a little. "Yes, according to Klaus once the bond is completed not even death can break it, whatever that means. I get the feeling there is more to it than that, but that seems like the important part."

"And if we complete the bond, maybe Jeremy won't have to be a hunter?" Elena asked hopefully.

"I don't know. Klaus thinks I was passed over anyway."

Elena looked at Damon in that instant and saw a flash of something else. A dream, a fantasy maybe. She shook it off and turned to Jeremy, "Why are you not siding with Stefan?"

"Elena, in the past few years all I've seen is the pain that you tried so hard to mask, and when Stefan left with Klaus, that pain was magnified times a thousand. But, then Ric and I both started to notice Damon was carefully putting the pieces back together. You started to live again because of him, and now I look at you and even though your life is forever changed, you look truly happy. I really don't care how you got there, I just want you to stay that way and if Damon can give you that happiness then I want that for you. Ric would have wanted that for both of you."

Damon pinched his nose as he tried to rein in his thoughts and emotions, but Elena was losing that battle as tears fell from her lashes.

"I love you, Elena. And if Damon makes you happy then you SHOULD be with him, no matter what anyone else thinks." Jeremy said as he hugged his sister.

"I love you, too Jer."

"I'm guessing we should keep this to ourselves." Damon added as he put a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "Not even that ring could save you if Stefan or Klaus finds out you told us."

"Probably not."

Damon glanced at Elena once more trying to gauge her thoughts.

As he locked eyes with her, he felt her touch him soul deep as he saw a flash of something unexpected. He couldn't help but feel sorrow for the loss of the future she wouldn't have. Elena pregnant and happy, or with a child on her hip. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why that hit him so hard in that moment, but then it he saw it with new clarity, if they completed the bond they would be closing the door on that possibility forever. Would she really be okay with that?

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

"So brother, is it true?" Elijah said as he walked through Klaus' front door. "Do we have a mated pair right under our noses?"

"I think we do. Damon invoked the sire bond and she blew right through it. Not to mention Damon has laid me out twice now. I'd say the bond is pretty strong."

"And what of Stefan? How is he taking this?" Elijah asked.

"Not well, he's with Caroline and Bonnie as we speak trying to find a way to keep the star crossed lovers from consummating their bond and destroying any chance he has at getting 'his' Elena back." Klaus said.

"And this doesn't concern you?" Elijah asked.

"Not in the least. I played my hand earlier today. One way or another the Petrova line will be carried on."

"Do tell NiKlaus." Elijah said with a smile.

Klaus held out a hand to the sofa and sat across from his brother as he shared his morning exploits.

_Jeremy had stayed at Klaus' the previous night so that he could keep an eye on him in the hopes that perhaps he might have been the new hunter after all, in spite of the fact that Elena's sudden end to her hallucinations indicated that perhaps he had been passed over. He'd told Stefan that Jeremy was with Bonnie in an effort to deter him from seeking the younger Gilbert out that evening as well._

_When Jeremy woke in the morning Klaus was waiting with a mission on his mind._

_"Good morning Jeremy. How did you sleep?"_

_"Well, thank you."_

_"No dreams of hunter's marks and killing your sister I take it?"_

_"No. Not at all."_

_"Excellent." Klaus said as he looked into the teenager's eyes. "I want you to go home and find your sister and Damon. I know we told you not to tell them about completing the bond, but you need to tell them. Damon makes your sister happy and that's all you want for her, so you need to tell them how to forge their bond permanently. Do you understand."_

_"I want Elena to be happy." Jeremy said as his pupils focused on Klaus'. "I'll tell them what they need to do to complete the bond."_

_"Good boy. Now, when you leave here, I want you to forget all about our talk. You stayed at the boarding house last night so that Stefan and I could watch for any signs that you were the hunter."_

_"I stayed at the boarding house last night." Jeremy repeated._

_"Good. Now go on and catch up to your sister."_

"You do know that if he is the new hunter, even you can't compel him, right?" Elijah asked.

"I do. Which is why it's a good thing he's not the hunter." Klaus said.

"What makes you so sure?" Elijah wondered.

"Come with me, brother." Klaus said as he led Elijah to the cellar.

Elijah looked through the bars of the cell that Klaus pointed to and smiled brightly.

"Oh you are simply evil, brother."

"Not my plan, but I'm perfectly happy to take credit for it." He said with a wink as he watched Connor stab himself repeatedly.

"Whose plan was it?" Elijah asked wondering who else could be so twisted.

"Damon Salvatore. He wanted the hunter to suffer at his own hand, so he planned to turn him. Unfortunately, he never got the chance."

"Then how?"

"The wonders of a mated pair. He thought it, and she unconsciously did it. When the hunter went after Damon she snapped his neck, but not before her own wounds bled into the bite she'd given him earlier. I didn't even know until I happened by an Alley where he was feeding last night, he killed a vampire and then transitioned on the would be victim. Now that is poetry, don't you think brother?"

"So now, he's what?"

"I had Bonnie put a spell on him, so he CAN'T kill himself, but every time he tries he grows his mark."

"I hate to say it NiKlaus, but Damon Salvatore may just be a genius. Looks like you picked the wrong brother also." Elijah said with a smile.

Klaus just smiled and nodded in agreement. He'd never really given Stefan's brother much credit, but his plan had been sheer brilliance after all.

* * *

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I wanted to get a chapter up for you today, because I am so elated with your responses. I just had to give you one more :)

I hope you like it! Wondering if anyone guessed who the "new" hunter was…let me know!

XOXO Liv


	14. Falling Slowly

**Falling Slowly**

**As usual I do not own The Vampire Diaries, but I do love to play in their world from time to time. No Copyright infringement intended.**

**Get ready for the new rating of M**, if you are offended by more mature themes, be warned. You will see where it starts to head in that direction pretty clearly at the end of the chapter if you'd like to exit early, but it is safe to read up to that point and skip over the last section break.

First of all, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. I think there were a total of 16 for the day! And 3000 views in less than 24 hours, which is crazy. I am loving this story and the more I hear from all of you the more I want to write and share it with you! I know we all say that, but I really mean it!

To my unsigned review from Tara, I think maybe you missed the end of the chapter...it tells you why the hunter killed the girl and who the 'new' hunter is towards the end as well as why Jeremy is team Delena :) I'd tell you more, but I don't want to spoil it for you as I've been working hard to keep that twist under wraps since this all started :)

In fact, that twist was one of the ideas that spawned this little story...Anyway, I had intended to post a chapter earlier today, but I wanted to make sure I got this one right...so please let me know how I did :)

On to the next one...you all know what's coming ;} Hope you enjoy.

Livia

* * *

_Falling slowly, eyes that know me  
And I can't go back  
The moods that take me and erase me  
And I'm painted black  
Well, you have suffered enough  
And warred with yourself It's time that you won_

_Take this sinking boat and point it home  
We've still got time  
Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice  
You've made it known_

_Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard_

As Damon and Elena made their way to the morgue, Stefan was sitting at the boarding house with Caroline having a discussion about hunters and sire bonds.

"Caroline, I don't know what to do. You should have seen them last night. It's killing me because I love them, and I want them both to be happy but I don't know if I can watch them be happy, together."

"Stefan, we have no idea how much of their connection is a product of the sire bond."

"No Care, we do. He invoked the sire bond right in front of me and she didn't even flinch."

"Could he have loop holed the phrasing? I mean we're talking about Damon." Caroline offered.

"I don't think so. Telling her to forget him, that he would be just a stranger if they met on the street was destroying him." Stefan said as he pulled at his hair before running his hands over his face.

"Then we just need to find the new hunter. Are you sure it's not Jeremy?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah, it looks like he missed out since Connor killed him before he died."

"Then how do we find a new hunter?" She asked.

"I don't know, but Klaus seems to think the arrival of a hunter is directly linked to the sire bond. If he's right, one will show up sooner rather than later." Stefan shared.

"Wait a minute, I'm confused. I thought that the sire bond just existed until someone broke it or died. Damon just didn't do it right." Caroline said glancing over the information Stefan had learned from Klaus.

"I think that's true, about the sire bond, but I'm sure that Damon did everything he could to break it last night. He loves her as much as I do, and I know he wants this to be real. He wouldn't let a sire bond hold her to him if he didn't think she wanted him. He had to know that what she felt went beyond a supernatural tether, but Klaus doesn't think we're dealing with a sire bond, and that's why the hunter appeared." Stefan said.

"Then what are we dealing with." Caroline asked.

"Damon and Elena are mated. You see, a sire bond only requires that the one turned have feelings before they are turned, and as I understand it a mated pair requires that both the vampire and the human have deep rooted feelings for each other before the human dies and transitions. As it turns out, that is exceedingly rare. Rare enough that even Klaus has only seen it happen one time."

"Why?" Caroline wondered.

"Probably because vampires turn humans as a way not to be lonely, or as a manipulation. I mean look at you...you were turned just to piss us off." Stefan said.

"And how is Elena being turned not selfish?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know, maybe because it wasn't his choice. Dr. Fell gave her Damon's blood without his knowledge, or maybe because he didn't want this for her, but more than likely, and I hate to admit this, Elena is the only person on this earth apart from me that Damon would happily hand over his life for, and he loves her just as much as I do." Stefan conceded.

"Come on, there have to be hundreds or thousands of instances where people are unknowingly turned and they aren't sired or mated, or whatever." Caroline said.

"They aren't in love with each other either. Damon and Elena have been in denial about their feelings for years now, but there is no denying what I saw last night."

"What did you see? So she didn't react to the sire bond, so what! You can't give up Stefan. You and Elena are meant to be together."

"Care, you didn't see them. When I walked in that room, I could literally feel the bond snap tight around them as they fed. That's something that Elena and I never had."

"What do you mean? Of course you did!" Caroline shouted.

"No, we didn't. What we had was safe, it was comforting. There was an intensity between them that could scorch the earth around them and they wouldn't have known it. I'm not sure that I can give her that kind of intensity, and what right do I have to deny her that?" Stefan asked.

"Stefan you can't give up. You love her!"

"That's just it. I'm not sure I do love her like this. Sure I love her, but I look at her and I see a vampire first. Elena said something last night, and I really think she might be right. Even Damon called me on it."

"What?"

"She asked me if I could love her the way she is, and I couldn't answer her, but Damon told her he loves her either way, and I believe he does. What if we break the bond, but we can't make her human again. Then what? I will have destroyed the two people I care about most in the world for nothing if I break their bond and I still can't love her as a vampire. So, should I really even be trying?" Stefan asked. "Who's the selfish brother now?"

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Damon and Elena hadn't expected to see the vampire when Sheriff Forbes brought them into the morgue.

"Why are you stashing a vampire in the morgue, Liz? Seems like a bad idea." Damon said.

"Good morning." Meredith said as she came into the small room and handed Damon something bundled in a surgical drape.

"Morning." Damon said with his usual smirk before he unwrapped a large and pointed piece of wood.

"Oh boy, it's a stake! I hate to break it to you, but this one is already dead." Damon exclaimed as he went to inspect it further.

"Careful..." Dr. Fell started as she watched Damon pick it up and immediately drop the stake as it seared his skin.

She picked it up and showed him the markings that had been etched into the back of the stake, "Does this look familiar?"

"It's the mark of the five. This belonged to a hunter?" Damon asked.

"It seems like a reasonable explanation." The doctor offered.

"Then why did we find a body? Usually the hunter buries or burns his kills, and how did the girl end up dead, too?" He asked.

"Well, that's the thing...I think the hunter killed the girl." Meredith said.

"What? Why on earth would he do that? And why does it look like a vampire bit her?" Elena asked.

"I don't know why, but I do think your hunter has been turned because the girl was completely drained of blood and this one didn't have a single drop of it in his system." Meredith shared.

Elena and Damon both looked at each other and said, "Connor."

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

After they left the morgue, Damon and Elena headed to Klaus' to see if he knew anything about Connor.

"I turned him?" Elena wondered aloud.

"I think so. I planned to turn him, but he shot me before I had the chance. So, you must have bled into his wounds when you snapped his neck." Damon offered.

"What does this mean?" She asked.

"I don't know, but I'm guessing we have one super pissed and conflicted hunter on our hands." Damon said with a slight smile.

He couldn't help it, the idea of the hunter being the victim of his own directive was too good to be true.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Klaus' only to find Elijah standing on the other side of the door.

"Well, well. Isn't this a surprise?" Elijah said as he looked at their intertwined fingers, "it seems that NiKlaus is right about you."

"Good to know EVERYONE is talking about us." Damon spat as he pushed passed Elijah keeping Elena in front of him as he went.

"I just have to see it for myself." Elijah said as he made a grab for Elena.

A fraction of a second later, Elijah was dangling six inches from the floor as Damon leveled his icy blue eyes onto his, "SHE is off limits. You will not use her as a guinea pig. Understood?"

"Fine." Elijah said looking giddy despite his current predicament.

When Damon set him down, he moved to attack him instead and again found himself pinned against the wall, only this time it was the beautiful Elena who gripped his neck in a vice like hold.

"Touch him and I will find a way to separate you from your limbs. You may not be able to die, but I'm fairly certain that you won't find that enjoyable." She growled.

"Interesting." He said as he grinned at the pair. "NiKlaus is in the cellar."

Elena dropped him and Damon just smirked in his direction, "She's stunning when she's angry don't you agree?"

"Quite." Elijah said as he dusted off his suit and followed them down to the cellar.

"Ah, good morning, and how are the star crossed lovers this morning?"

"Lethal." Elijah offered as he rubbed his neck.

"You should have taken heed, brother." Klaus said.

"Next time." Elijah said knowing that would never happen.

"So, what the hell are we doing in your cellar? Did you want to show us your red room of pain?" Damon asked.

"You could say that." Klaus said as he opened the panel on the cell door for them to look inside.

Damon just pushed passed Klaus and opened the door so that he could enter the room, what he found brought a smile to his face. "I knew it."

Connor was standing in the corner covered in blood with dozens of blood bags at his feet. He swayed back and forth as he spoke softly to himself.

"I'm a monster. I can't live. The hunter will come, I have to die."

"I can help you with that." Damon offered.

Connor spun around and spotted Elena immediately, "You! I should kill you where you stand!"

Before anyone could react Connor made a move towards her, his motion stopped as Damon darted to his side and snapped the hunter's neck before he was anywhere near her. As he turned back towards the door, he noticed Klaus was staring in disbelief.

"What? He had it coming, besides I owed him one. Two in fact, but who's counting." Damon said with a shrug. "Besides, he'll be good as new in an hour or two...nuttier than a fruitcake, but back to the walking, talking, staking, biting hunter vamp. And here I thought Stefan was conflicted."

Klaus locked the cellar and the four of them made their way upstairs.

"Given the hunter's penchant for killing himself, that mark should be complete within a day or two." Klaus said as he sat in one of the high backed chairs in the great room.

"And what's to stop him from just putting a stake through his heart?" Damon asked.

"Your teen witch put a spell on him. He can only inflict mortal wounds that he will recover from, so no stakes to the heart, but multiple stakes to the abdomen is okay. Exceedingly more painful, but not enough to put him down permanently like a stake to the heart."

Damon led Elena over to the couch and waited for her to sit before he joined her and said, "And what happens when it's complete?"

"We find the witch." Klaus answered.

"And she does what? Breaks the bond, makes me human again?" Elena asked.

"Well, yes if that's what you want. It's certainly what Stefan wants."

"What if I don't? What if I don't want to break the bond." Elena asked.

"I'm not sure Stefan's going to accept that." Klaus said.

"Well, he may not have a choice." Damon offered.

"Maybe not, but he's going to try no matter what I want." Elena said.

"Then so be it. Elena, we'll deal with it when it happens, okay?" Damon said as he brushed her hair behind her ear and watched her nod.

Damon had tried to sound uncertain in Klaus' presence since they both knew there was a way to keep them from ever breaking the bond, but neither of them was too keen on Jeremy paying for his little disclosure.

"Well, if you two don't mind, I'm going to go check on our hunter. Perhaps he's recovered from your earlier fit of temper." Klaus said as he looked between the two of them.

Damon took Elena's hand and led her out to the car, once she was safely inside he ran around the front and got behind the wheel. When he got to the end of the drive, Elena looked at him and said, "Go left."

He looked at Elena with a questioning gaze, "Where are we going?"

"Just drive. I'll tell you when we get there." She smiled.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

An hour and half later they arrived at the Gilbert family lake house. As they stepped out of the car, Elena held out her hand and asked Damon for his cell phone. He handed it over and watched as she turned it off and stuck it in the glove compartment along with her own before pushing him back against the car and kissing him senseless.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me Princess." Damon whispered when she moved to his neck.

"Oh, you do know better, and I am trying to seduce you. Is it working?" She asked with a knowing smile.

"Your particular brand of seduction has been working on me since the day I met you." He said as he took her hand and led her into the house.

"What are we doing?" She asked as he moved around the great room lighting candles.

"Elena, I need to talk to you before we do this." Damon said as he started a fire stalling just a bit longer as he tried to force himself to spit out his next statement.

"I can't believe I'm doing this, but...are you sure that you want this? I mean what if there's a chance that you could have a life. Kids. A Family. Do you really want to give all that up for this? For me?"

"No." She said as she watched the disappointment bloom.

"I want to give it up for us. Maybe I could have all of those things, Damon, but my kids wouldn't have brilliant blue eyes, and my husband wouldn't have your sexy smirk...I don't want that life, because it would be a life without you in it." She said as she stood and walked over to his side.

"I love you Damon, and I don't want a life that you won't be a part of." She said with finality as she slid her fingertips beneath the collar of his shirt.

In an instant, his lips were on hers as his hands fell to her hips pulling close. He groaned as her fingers grazed his scalp making him shudder as pleasure coursed through his body. The fire ignited in an instant and all of a sudden he felt himself being drawn in. The pull he felt was nearly gravitational as tried to bring her even closer.

"You're sure?" He whispered.

Her answer came silently, as she tore open his shirt scattering buttons to the floor before he found his back flush against the wall beside the fire, its heat couldn't even compare to the inferno that pulsed between them.

Elena took a tiny step back allowing just enough space for her fingers to scrape over the planes of his stomach. When she heard the slight intake of his breath, her eyes snapped up to his transfixed by his crystal blue stare.

In an instant, the tables were turned as she found herself pinned beneath Damon on the couch. His left hand guiding her leg up to his hip as he leaned into their kiss.

Their mingled breaths hung in the air as Damon kissed his way down from her earlobe to the hollow at the base of her throat.

"God, Elena do you have any idea how good you taste?" He wondered as he continued to take in every inch of exposed skin barely grazing her flesh with teeth and tongue.

When that wasn't enough, his fingers carefully slipped the buttons free and allowed her shirt to pool around her shoulders.

He let go of a shudder as he took in the luminous sheen of her skin under the flickering light the flames provided, her chest rose and fell with each labored breath as her heated gaze burned through any doubts that lingered between them.

"Damon." She whispered as she pulled him down and into a scorching kiss.

A growl rumbled through him as he allowed his chest to press flush against her feeling the lace of her bra abrade his overly sensitive skin.

A second later, his careful removal of her clothing went out the window with the sound of fabric tearing just before her skirt landed on the floor beside them taking his breath with it as his gaze landed on the black lace that barely covered the curves of her hips and breasts.

Damon lifted Elena from the couch as she wrapped her legs around his hips and pressed her lips firmly beneath his ear. He carried her easily to the bed and set her down as he lit candles on every surface before returning to her and pressing his lips to her collarbone.

Elena moaned and let her head fall back against the pillows as he kissed his way down to the center of her chest with his eyes still locked on her beautiful face.

Damon felt a tingle of pleasure against his skin as though her lips had touched him while he kissed her breastbone.

A hum of approval fell from her lips as he let his tongue lave her sensitive skin before letting his attention move down her torso to the curve of her hip.

"Please, Damon." She exhaled before she pushed him back and climbed over him pushing the tattered remains of his shirt off his shoulders and letting it fly across the room before letting her fingernails glide over his chest eliciting a deep shuddering moan from Damon.

A moan that only got louder as her lips fell to his chest before tracing the lines and ridges to the waist band of his jeans. Her fingers slipped the buttons free, and a moment later they joined the scraps of his previously discarded shirt leaving him in only a pair of black boxer briefs.

Elena took a moment to appreciate the perfection of the man before her, taking a deep breath and removing his last article of clothing. As soon as he kicked free of his shorts, Damon turned so that she was beneath him again as he let his fingers drift softly up her rib cage. His eyes held hers as he placed a kiss just to the left of her hip bone inhaling the scent of her surrounding him.

"So beautiful." He whispered as his fingers released the clasp on her bra and peeled it away from her flesh. Moments later her panties landed beside it on the floor.

Damon felt every inch of her skin as he crawled forward placing random kisses as he went until he was kissing her neck, then sucking gently on her earlobe before finally staring into her eyes and wrapping his fingers gently around hers.

His whole body shook as he pressed it firmly against her, they reveled in the intoxicating pull that wrapped around them as they breathed in heated air that crackled around them.

Elena looked into Damon's eyes as her fingers traveled down the notches of his spine, pulling him closer still as she slung a leg over his hip.

His eyes nearly rolled back in his head as he felt the contact from his head to his toes.

Damon took a trembling breath as he brushed her hair back from her face and stared into her eyes looking for any indication that she might have a single doubt, but her smile pierced through that thought and made his heart trip in his chest.

"I love you Elena." Damon whispered as he finally shoved all thoughts of what she would be giving up aside and gave into the desire that arced between them.

In that one instant, lightning flashed and crackled outside shaking everything around them before a heavy rain started to fall.

Little shocks rippled between them as they stared into each other's eyes and fell into a steady rhythm. Their eyes never losing contact as the storm raged outside.

Damon softly pressed his lips to her breastbone as he tried to keep a tight hold on his control, but the lure of her body against his was making it very near impossible. Her finger nails scraping his skin as his movements became erratic weren't helping as he felt each one pierce through his flesh leaving him quivering as desire spilled from every pore in his body.

"God, Elena. So good." He muttered as he allowed her to take him to his back hovering over him for a moment before he felt her slide down his body stopping as her breath shifted the fine hairs that travel from his navel down.

Anticipation crept over him until he felt the silk of her hair brush against his thighs moments before she enveloped him in the wet heat of her mouth, nearly sending him over the edge without her.

His hands fisted in the sheets as the fabric tore under his grasp and a growl fell from his parted lips chased only by her name, "Elena." He gasped.

Her fingernails scraped over his hips as she held on to him, taking in everything he had as he watched her with heavy lidded eyes. The sight was intoxicating and overwhelming as he took in the way her hair fell against his skin until he felt her eyes on his.

A moan vibrated outward from her chest leaving him on the brink as he pulled her forward to straddle his hips and he sat up to meet her. She followed his lead as she sank down onto him generating an aching need for release coursing urgently between them.

"Oh god, Damon." She whispered as she threw her head back allowing him to penetrate even deeper still.

"Fuck!" He shouted as he felt the coil of pleasure contract, while he tried to cling desperately to the last threads of his control.

With that one word, something snapped into place for Elena who immediately shuddered as her walls tightened in a vice like grip around him. Damon immediately laid his hands on her hips as he guided her motions into a faster rhythm that quickly had him throwing his head back in anticipation.

The heavy wooden headboard creaked as though it were made of kindling when he flipped her back against the pillows and began to move with a new urgency as she cried out in ecstasy, "Damon, Damon please I can't take it anymore!"

With that, the lightning crackled and lit up the night sky like fireworks as she sunk her teeth into his shoulder causing the tight cords of Damon's control to snap, as he in turn laved her neck just before his teeth punctured her flesh.

Pleasured moans filled the air as the two lovers writhed against each other reveling in the bliss that wrapped around them. Electricity pulsed between them as unneeded air rushed from their lungs, and the taste of each other's blood clung to their lips as they kissed softly until they finally heard the storm recede off into the distance.

Damon leaned back against the pillows as his fingers grazed over her stomach causing her to shiver slightly and curl up into his side.

"I love you, Damon." She whispered sleepily.

"I love you, too." He responded as he pulled the blankets up around their shoulders and closed his eyes.

* * *

Well, I hope that it was worth the wait :) Consider them unbreakable...Now what do you think will happen when Stefan finds out? How about Klaus and Jeremy? And is there still more to this bond than they know. Perhaps the witch can shed some light on that once Connor has completed his mark...What did you think?

I had wanted to add a little more to the chapter, but it ended up being a whole heck of a lot more involved than I initially intended, so I will try to update again tonight or tomorrow if I can :) Thanks again for sticking with me and all of the incredible feedback I've been getting from you!

xoxo Livia

**I'm pretty sure these two could set the sheets on fire, so don't expect this to be an all out sappy love fest when they hit the bedroom (or anyplace else for that matter...wink, wink).**


	15. So Easy

**So Easy**

**I wish I was brilliant enough to come up with Vampire Diaries, but I'm not. However, I do enjoy the amazing story they've created! No copyright infringement intended.**

Thanks again for reading and reviewing everyone! I love to see how the chapters go over with you and it makes me want to write even more :)

This chapter will pick up a little bit before the last one ended as there are a few revelations that occurred, but I was not keen on the idea of interrupting Delena with needless chatter from the peanut gallery ;}

One note worth mentioning...Damon and Elena still don't know that Jeremy was compelled by Klaus and there are a lot of details that Stefan, Caroline and the rest of the gang are still in the dark about.

I hope that you enjoy this one...do let me know!

Xoxo

Livi

* * *

_Like the ocean pulls the tide and just to hold me close  
Like the rain pour in a rainstorm makes the flowers grow  
You're the reason I believe in something I don't know_

_You make it so, you make it so, you make it so easy  
This letting go is so beautiful, cause you make it so easy, to fall so hard_

_So Easy by Phillip Phillips_

EARLIER

Elijah watched as Damon led Elena to the car before heading down to the cellar to talk with his brother.

"NiKlaus, are you certain they haven't completed the bond?' Elijah asked.

"Yes brother, I'm sure they haven't YET. Did you hear the way Damon spoke of a way to make the bond unbreakable? They wouldn't be thinking about that if they had already slept together. Especially since I made sure they know the bond can be permanently forged thanks to Jeremy Gilbert."

"Then perhaps we should be concerned? Evangeline and Ernesto were not capable of the power that they've displayed until after they completed the mated bond. Is it possible that Damon and Elena could be more powerful?" Elijah wondered.

"Brother are you worried?" Klaus asked.

"Pardon me for being concerned, but I was just held up like a puppet without strings by Elena Gilbert."

"It's been over a thousand years, perhaps you just don't recall Ernesto and Evangeline's abilities accurately."

"Perhaps not, but what if the fact that she was a doppelganger makes this different? And you know he possesses some abilities that were only attributed to originals until he was turned. What about his ability to manipulate dreams? These things will surely have some impact on how their bond manifests." Elijah said with clear concern.

"Brother, you always were one to worry about things that have not happened yet."

"Perhaps you're right. How is the hunter doing?"

"The mark is almost complete, perhaps now is a good time to call Stefan and Caroline."

"Ah, yes, the lovely Caroline." Elijah said.

"What? Stefan considers her a close confidante, he'll want her here. We should get Jeremy Gilbert here, too. Hopefully, he can still see the mark."

"Ah NiKlaus, you are not as hard to read as you think." Elijah said as he summoned the pair via text and requested they bring the Gilbert boy as well.

An hour later, Stefan, Jeremy and Caroline sat across from the two originals.

"So what can I ask made you drag us out here so urgently?" Caroline asked suspiciously.

"Well, as you know we've been looking for the new hunter."

"Did you find one?" Stefan asked hopefully.

"Well, as it turns out he never left Mystic Falls." Klaus said as Jeremy looked at his arm for a mark, fearing the original knew something he didn't.

"Don't worry, the hunter is safely confined in my cellar, so I assure you that you are not in danger of becoming a mass murderer today." Klaus told Jeremy.

"But, he was here, in Mystic Falls, the whole time?" Caroline asked.

"Yes, why don't you come see for yourselves."

When they arrived in the cellar, Stefan stepped up to the small window into the cell and gasped in shock.

"Connor? How? I watched Elena kill him." Stefan said.

"Oh, she did kill him, but not before she executed your brother's plan to perfection."

"Damon's plan? What plan?" Stefan asked.

"Seems Damon didn't want Jeremy to be faced with the murderous directive of a hunter anymore than she did, so he'd planned to turn the hunter and use his own desire to kill vampires against him and grow his mark. It was really quite brilliant." Klaus said with a grin.

Jeremy smiled as he realized Damon had protected him from the hunter's curse for Elena. In that moment, he knew he'd done the right thing in telling them about the mating bond.

"How did she know about the plan? They never talked after we went down to the tunnels, and he certainly didn't succeed in his plan." Stefan asked.

"As it turns out, their bond made discussing his plan unnecessary. Somehow she knew on a subconscious level what he needed her to do. She wasn't even aware that she'd bled into his wounds before she killed him." Klaus shared.

"So Elena turned him and he's been here since then?" Caroline asked.

"Well, no. We didn't figure out that she'd turned him until he killed a vampire near the grill. Unfortunately, he transitioned on the girl that he saved, collateral damage I suppose." Klaus added.

"So he's been here since you found him then. And how did you get him to grow the mark?" Jeremy asked.

"Once your teen witch spelled him not to stake himself through the heart, it was simple really he's been in my cellar killing himself repeatedly. Or at least he was until Damon snapped his neck like a twig for going after Elena a little while ago."

"You let him get near Elena?" Stefan growled.

"Oh not to worry, the pair of them are quite protective of one another. You really should see it for yourself." Elijah offered.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked Elijah before turning to Klaus and asking, "What does he mean?"

"Mated pairs are rumored to have strength that is equal to an original when threatened. I've seen it before with the other mated pair I knew, but they weren't nearly as strong." Klaus offered. "Especially before the bond was completed."

"You don't think they've?" Stefan asked.

"They've what?" Caroline wondered.

"Had sex." Jeremy answered.

"What? No! Gross Jer! This is Damon we're talking about!" Caroline shouted.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but he wasn't too gross for you to take him for a spin!" Jeremy spat back before glancing at the shocked faces before him, hoping he hadn't aroused suspicions with his defense of Damon.

"I was compelled!" She shouted. "You know what, that's besides the point. Elena and Stefan belong together. She wouldn't do that. No matter what!"

"I'm not so sure." Stefan said. "So, where are they now? I tried calling them on the way over, but both of their phones went straight to voice mail."

"I don't know, Elijah did they say where they were going?" Klaus asked.

"No. I'm afraid I didn't think to ask either."

"Anyway, the hunter's mark…." Klaus said as he handed a pad of paper and a pencil to Jeremy.

"You sure it's safe for him to go in there?" Stefan asked.

"It will be in a minute." Elijah said as he produced a syringe and pointed to some ropes that were coiled in the corner. "I can administer the vervain, but Jeremy, you'll have to tie the ropes as they are soaked in vervain as well."

"Okay." Jeremy said as he took the pad of paper and stepped aside while Elijah went into the cell to administer the Vervain and then followed with the ropes before taking a seat next to Connor and beginning his sketch.

"Very good. Elijah, stay here with Jeremy." Klaus said.

"I think I'll stay too if you don't mind." Stefan added.

"Suit yourself, I'm sure I can entertain Caroline for a bit." Klaus said as he held a hand out to her.

"Great." She said with a fake smile plastered across her lips.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Damon woke up with a smile on his face sometime in the middle of the night. He reached out to find Elena's side of the bed empty and cool to the touch.

"Lena?" He called out.

When she didn't respond, he went to look for her. His eyes scanned the room as he went, landing on discarded clothing and re-igniting the fire he'd felt only a few hours earlier.

As he entered the great room, he spotted Elena sitting on the floor in front of the fire with a sheet draped loosely around her. The flickering lights and the moonlight streaming in made her look angelic.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked as he sat down behind her and pulled her into his arms.

"Not much, I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful. Happy even." She smiled as she leaned her head back against his shoulder.

"Princess, you can wake me anytime, and I am happy. Very Happy." He whispered as his fingers traced circles along her forearms.

Elena smiled up at him before concern marred her features as she said, "Do you think what Klaus told Jeremy about our bond is true? Is it really unbreakable?"

"I do. Can't you feel how strong we are together?"

"Yes, but why wouldn't Klaus do everything in his power to keep us apart then? He'll never have his doppelgänger again now, and just look at what we're capable of when there is a threat. I felt it today when I held Elijah's life in my hands, I could hurt him. Maybe not kill him, but I could have really hurt him." Elena said.

"I know. I felt it, too. As long as Klaus doesn't know that the bond can no longer be broken, he'll keep looking for the witch and stop focusing on you for a while. I don't know what he'll do if he finds out what we've done, so I think we need to do whatever we can to find out more about a mated bond before that happens. If that means helping him find the witch, then so be it. For now, we need to try to keep this from him...and Stefan."

"God, Stefan. How are we ever going to explain this to him?" She asked.

"I don't know, but we'll figure it out. We will. It's not going to be easy, but our road has never been easy. For now, I'm alone with a beautiful woman in this amazing house. No cell phones. No one in the next room. No Drama. How about I see how many times I can get my name to fall from your lips?" Damon whispered against her ear.

Without a word, Elena turned around and smiled as she opened the sheet she had wrapped around her torso and climbed into his lap eliciting a moan from Damon.

He looked towards the reflection in the window behind her memorizing the image before him, her silky hair wrapped around his fingers, the gentle curve of her spine and the expanse of her olive skin, the sheet hanging loosely around her hips just beneath the enticing little dimples on either side of her spine, and all of that beauty was wrapped around HIM. In that moment, he felt like the luckiest creature on this earth.

Of course, when she started to move against him, the reflection became a considerably more erotic display. He didn't have long to dwell on that thought as his mind started to wander to the feel of her skin against his, the soft mewling noises that fell from her lips, and the delicious friction that had him shaking with need.

"Elena," he whispered.

"Mmmm. I thought this was about your name on MY lips." She smiled.

"Oh princess, you have no idea what you've just done." Damon said with a smirk as she felt the cool air rush over her skin a millisecond before she found herself laid out on the dining room table and Damon was looking at her like she was a feast and he was a starved man.

In short order, Damon had Elena breathlessly screaming as he kissed her neck before dragging his tongue languidly over her skin to the hollow of her throat. Her skin was on fire as his fingers gently rubbed over her shoulders on their way down to increasingly more sensitive areas of her body.

"Oh god, Damon." She whispered as one of his hands palmed her breast and the other travelled aggravatingly slowly to her hip.

"That's one."

She started to comment, but the retort died on a moan as his lips wrapped around her nipple followed closely by the warmth of his tongue.

"Damon." She said on the softest whisper that she couldn't quite contain.

"Two." He said as he shifted to her other breast.

He smiled as her head fell back and her back arched up off the table before gooseflesh rose on her skin and a purr began to rumble from deep within her diaphragm.

"I love the sounds you make." He whispered as he kissed and licked his way to her hipbone.

Her fingers wound through his hair as she started to vibrate with pleasure and let his name fall from her lips two more times, but he was too focused on his task to bring it to her attention as he kissed the inside of her knee and worked his way up her thigh.

When he pressed a kiss to her pubic bone, she started to pant his name in a plea, but only the first syllable was audible.

"I'll never get tired of hearing you drowning in pleasure at my hands, princess." He whispered as he kissed down her other thigh.

"Pl-please. Damon!" She whispered when he stopped and let his breath fall over her open thighs.

"Please" She begged once more until he finally pressed his lips firmly to her clit and sent her plummeting over the edge he'd kept her hanging off of for the past twenty minutes.

Before comprehension even returned, she felt the press of his body against hers just before she screamed his name again, "Damon!"

A smirk covered his lips for a moment until he could no longer concentrate on the smug satisfaction as she shoved him to the floor and threw herself back into his arms. Straddling his hips, she slid back down his length finally forcing him to say, "Elena. Oh god, Elena!"

She smiled as she placed her hands on his chest for leverage. Damon's hands grasped her hips as they found a rhythm that had them both breathless and moaning in pleasure.

As control went out the window, the draw of his blood called to her. He smiled as he looked into her eyes seeing only the woman that he loved and not the monster she felt clawing at the surface as he offered his wrist.

The instant her teeth penetrated his skin, the room erupted in passioned moans as Damon bellowed out his release. Elena opened the flesh of her palm and let him have the bliss that coursed through her veins as she wrapped her lips around his wrist once more and rode out her own pleasure with his name hanging in the air between them one more time.

They laid in tangled together in front of the fire as they tried to process feelings, both emotional and physical that had dominated the last few hours. So much had changed and they both knew that when they left the bubble of the lake house, there was going to be a whole new set of challenges to contend with.

Neither one of them were ready to deal with that prospect just yet.

* * *

I hope that you liked the chapter. Next one will have a couple of big revelations, and hopefully that will be up tomorrow :)

So what do you think Klaus is up to? What does he know that he hasn't shared and what happened to the first mated pair? And finally, what do you think the ramifications of completing the mated bond will have on everyone?

*********If you have any guesses put them in a review. The five reviewers who get closest will get to pic a dream sequence outtake or regular outtake down the road which I will work them into the story :) Only because you guys are so amazing as I've said before. Consider that a New Years present!*********

**(I'll accept your ideas until 12/31 for this little contest)**

Thanks again fro supporting this story and taking time to review!

Xoxo

Livia


	16. One and Only

**One and Only**

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries, I just play in the world that was created. No copyright infringement intended.**

Thanks so much for the great responses! Several people are close, though I am waiting until 1/1/13 to make a call on who the five are that will get outtakes and to start writing them...So keep guessing if you want :)

Tara, I figured that's what happened...I do that all the time when I am reading :)

I continue to be overwhelmed by the support for this story and I have loved writing it, so I will continue to do so as long as there is interest and a story to tell :)

So, who's ready to learn more about the original mated vampires? I think Caroline might be…We're going back to where we left them in the last chapter. (I have take some liberties with the lore specifically regarding Mikael...just FYI)

**This is a shorter chapter, but it contains a lot of information. I hope you enjoy :)**

Xoxo

Livi

* * *

_I don't know why I'm scared, I've been here before  
Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all,  
You never know if you never try  
To forgive your past and simply be mine_

_I dare you to let me be your, your one and only  
Promise I'm worthy to hold in your arms  
So come on and give me the chance  
To prove that I'm the one who can  
Walk that mile until the end starts  
_

_If I've been on your mind  
You hang on every word I say  
Lose yourself in time at the mention of my name  
Will I ever know how it feels to hold you close?  
And have you tell me whichever road I choose you'll go_

_One and Only by Adele_

Klaus led Caroline to one of the high backed chairs in his studio and closed the door.

"You don't mind, do you? It helps me think." Klaus said as he pointed to the drawing table in the corner before taking a seat and picking up a piece of willowed charcoal and starting to outline the planes of her face.

"No." She smiled as she watched him sketch. "So, tell me about the original mated pair."

"Their names were Evangeline and Ernesto. Ernesto was the first vampire Rebekah turned. He was like Damon in that he did not want to transition, but Rebekah tricked him."

"Well, some things haven't changed much."

"True enough," Klaus smiled. "Though Ernesto was far less dangerous than Damon, he was also a fan of the bunny diet. And Evangeline, was a beautiful woman who was raised in the village we had settled in. She was seventeen when Ernesto first saw her, and he was drawn to her much like the Salvatore's are to Elena."

"Wait, so you think this was like fate or something?"

"Fate is a very powerful thing, Caroline. As a vampire, you have to know there are powers greater than chance at work. Anyway, Ernesto courted her as a human and protected her from harm. He was prepared to lay his life down for her, but then one day when Ernesto was off hunting, the wolves descended on the village and Evangeline was mortally wounded. When he returned, he was just in time to watch her life slipping away forcing him to decide whether to allow her to perish or try to turn her. In the end he let her die, because he did not want her to be shackled to the blood lust."

"Wait, she died? How were they mated then?" Caroline wondered.

"Yes. She died, but what he didn't realize is that we had been feeding a number of the villagers vampire blood, Ernesto's blood by adding it to their wine in order to maintain a healthy population. Ernesto knew of this, but he'd never knew who received the blood, nor did he want to know. He was not big on altering the fate of humans. After watching the plague ravage our village and kill our brother, we couldn't watch it happen again. We were selective in those who received the wine, so as not to turn the entire village and be subjected to the wrath of the spirits, but Evangeline had been one of the chosen. Hours later, Evangeline woke as a vampire and immediately, we knew that there was something very different about her than any other vampire we'd turned. Of course, we didn't plan for this outcome, it never occurred to any of us that such a bond could occur." Klaus said as he grabbed a charcoal pencil and began shading the outlines of her face.

"How was she different?" Caroline asked.

"So impatient, love. Evangeline was the first turned vampire that was able to manipulate dreams and her power was heightened by the fact that she was also a practicing witch, something she had concealed, even from Ernesto. She could comfort the sick and dying with her thoughts or torment someone she perceived as a threat, and once their bond was consummated, those traits were amplified. So much so that she was able to manipulate the dreams and thoughts of an original bringing them to the brink of insanity. Mikael was her target as she blamed him for her becoming a vampire since it was his attack on the werewolves over my mother's affair that prompted the attack. She drove him to be a hunter in hopes that she herself would die at his hands. When she succeeded, Mikael attacked but Ernesto got in the way and that was when their true power first manifested. For the first time, an original was vulnerable and it scared us all. They could not kill an original, but they could harm us in a way nothing else could. ."

"So that's why you want to find the witch?" Caroline asked.

"Of course, love. I am not keen on suffering at the hands of such a powerful creature anymore now than I was then." Klaus said.

His words were true enough, but there were a number of reasons why he hoped to find the witch.

"So what happened to them? Ernesto and Evangeline…"

"Well, eventually we were able to enlist them to our side against Mikael, but he never forgot the directive that Evangeline gave him in that dream. He wanted all of us dead. He had intended to kill them both, however the mated bond gave them a new found strength thus making them impossible to kill unless you were able to kill them both at once. A feat that proved exceedingly difficult given their heightened senses and her ability to manipulate anyone around her, including us. And he didn't exactly have a lot of allies, being that he'd most certainly turn on us the second the pair was deceased."

"And Ernesto? What did he bring to the mix?" She wondered.

"Ernesto was a warrior. He was already exceedingly strong, but his strength was magnified once the bond was formed, too, making it possible for him to withstand an attack from a wolf. A creature that was a vampires only known enemy at the time. Together, they were truly powerful much like us."

"So what happened?" She asked.

"Mikael enlisted the help of my mother Esther. She was responsible for the creation of the five. A breed of hunter that was stronger and faster than human hunters. Their sole purpose in life was to hunt and kill the mated pair and anyone who got in their way, hence their vendetta against all vampires. You see, we protected the mated pair for a time. So they sought to kill us as well, it's been hardwired into their DNA ever since, and that's also why I think they've turned up now."

"Why protect them, if they could hurt you?"

"Evangeline was a Petrova. She was born to the sister of Tatia Petrova, the woman who had been instrumental in creating not only the originals, but in making my wolf side dormant."

"So she was a Doppelgänger?"

"No. A doppelgänger only exists every 500 years, but she was part of the line of Petrova women and the only link I had to breaking the spell my mother had used to make the wolf dormant. So, I convinced my brothers and sister to protect them."

"And where are they now?" Caroline asked.

"Dead. As it turns out there are some things that even they were not immune to. Evangeline died, and as it turns out their bond extended into death. If one dies, they both die." Klaus offered before effectively ending the conversation as he walked around the desk and handed Caroline the picture he had been drawing throughout the conversation.

"It's beautiful." She said as she stared at the carefully crafted image of herself as the sunlight poured in around her.

"I'm afraid it can't even begin to compare to your beauty, love." Klaus said as he swept her hair behind her ear and smiled as he felt her sharp intake of breath.

"I finished the hunter's mark." Jeremy said as he came bursting into the room.

"I can see why Damon finds him so irritating." Klaus muttered under his breath so only Caroline could hear causing her to giggle quietly.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

As the light of day began to creep in over them and the fire crackled in submission as it died, Damon opened his eyes to the most beautiful woman he'd ever known with a smile on his face.

Elena smiled and traced the curve of his lips as she said, "What's that look for?"

"What look?"

"That." She said as he smiled a little brighter.

Damon looked at her through his lashes and whispered, "I'm happy."

With that she kissed him softly as stretched beside him, "Me, too."

"Come with me." Damon said as he stood and helped her to her feet.

"Where are we going?" She asked as he opened the sliding glass doors onto the patio.

"Right here." He said as he lifted the top off of the hot tub on the corner of the patio's deck as he lifted her into the steaming water before slipping in behind her and enveloping her in his arms.

"How long do you think we can stay here?"

"Well, eventually we'll get all prune-y…" He answered with a smirk.

Elena slapped at his chest and said, "No, I meant how long until we have to go back and face the firing squad?"

"I know what you meant." He smiled. "I think we need to go back soon. The longer we stay away the more suspicious everyone will be, but not right now. Now, I just want to enjoy a few more hours with you before I have to share you."

"I would like that." She answered.

The pair enjoyed the morning before they finally packed up their belongings and headed out to the car. When they entered Mystic Falls, Elena turned on their phones to find a number of missed calls and texts from all of the usual suspects, so Elena handed Damon his phone and said, "Who do you think we should call first?"

Damon took the phone and dialed as he looked back to the road waiting for an answer.

"Where the hell have you been?" Stefan asked.

"I took Elena up to the lake house for the night. She was hysterical after the hunter tried to kill her." He lied.

"Oh. Is she okay?"

"Yes. She's fine. She just needed to get away from all of the drama for a while, but we're almost to the boarding house now."

"Okay. I'll be back in an hour. Maybe I should bring Caroline back with me?"

"Sure. We need to talk about the hunter, too." Damon said.

"You mean Connor?"

"You know?"

"Yeah, Jeremy and Klaus are reading the mark as we speak."

"Connor completed the mark already?"

"Yeah, apparently he has quite the appetite for his own destruction."

"Wow, that didn't take long."

"It really was a brilliant plan brother. Wish you would have shared it with me." Stefan said.

"It didn't occur to me until Klaus threatened to vervain me. I needed to find a way to get in the tunnels to protect Elena and I wanted the hunter dead. I knew that Klaus would never let me in the tunnels if I planned to kill Connor, so I had to come up with an alternative that would satisfy everyone. Unfortunately, I didn't get to execute it, but Elena did."

"Yeah, Klaus told us how he thought it happened." Stefan said sounding a little irritated by the circumstances.

"Stef, we're at the boarding house. See you in an hour or so?" Damon said.

"Yeah, an hour sounds about right." Stefan said.

With that they hung up the phone and Damon looked at Elena.

"I'm not ready to tell him yet. He's going to hate me, and for the first time in well, ever I care." Damon said as he put the car in park.

Elena felt a knot forming in her stomach as she considered how Stefan would take this, and worse Klaus, but what is done can not be undone.

* * *

Lots of information to digest, so I'm going to leave it here. Maybe I'll get another chapter up before the end of the day today though :)

Thanks for all the reviews as always, and please keep them coming :)

xoxo, Livi


	17. Radioactive

**Radioactive**

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries, but I do love to play with the characters that it spawned :) No copyright infringement intended.**

**FYI, there is a video on Youtube by xXWhisperOfDreamsXx it features Klaus and this song...really good song choice for him...  
**

He is one of my favorite characters because of his ability to mix pure evil with vulnerability perfectly much of that is a testament to Joseph Morgan and his ability to deliver on both...you can never decide if you want to kill him or hug him. Plus I love the dynamic with Caroline. She sets him in his place and he lets her do it, almost enjoys it. I love Tyler, too...but I think Klaroline could be interesting for so many reasons. (For the record, I can't really have Tyler trying to kill off Klaus, hence the fact that he hasn't made a lot of appearances yet...but he will eventually :)

Thanks so much for the responses, reads, reviews, etc. I wanted to comment really quick that I clarified one paragraph in the last chapter thanks to a catch by Halo4mea. The assumption being that mated vampires are turned by each other's blood, etc.

I said that Ernesto didn't 'save' Evangeline...but in the previous paragraph Klaus said some of the villager's were fed "our blood"...I actually meant vampire's in general, but to clarify it was Ernesto's blood as he was the only turned vampire among them and as you know the originals do not part with their blood freely. So, I did change that paragraph for to clarify that, I didn't change anything else. Anyway, FYI and thanks Halo for the catch. I didn't notice and neither did my beta, but you are correct :)

Anyway, let's see what happens when we throw Stefan, Damon, Elena, Caroline and Klaus into a room together, shall we?

XOXO

Livi

* * *

_I'm waking up to ash and dust  
I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust  
I'm breathing in the chemicals  
I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus  
This is it, the apocalypse  
Whoa_

_I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones  
Enough to make my systems blow  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Welcome to the new age, to the new age  
Whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive  
Whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive_

_Radioactive by Imagine Dragons_

A little over an hour later, Elena was stepping out of the shower in Damon's room. He was casually sitting in the living room with a glass of bourbon as he awaited the arrival of his brother and Caroline.

Elena came bounding down the stairs and dropped onto the couch beside Damon before she leaned in to plant her lips firmly against his.

"Mmm, Lena, unless you want me to take you back upstairs...you need to stop. Stefan and Caroline will be here…." Damon started as the door opened and Stefan walked in behind Caroline. "Now."

Stefan stalled near the doorway into the living room as he felt the tension radiating off of the pair on the couch, but did his best to mask his discomfort at their closeness.

Caroline on the other hand did nothing to mask her disgust.

"Oh, Elena!" She cried. "Come on, let's go upstairs and leave these two to talk. Bonnie's coming by later and we're so kicking them out!"

"What? No." Elena said as she looked towards Damon.

"Come on Elena, it's just for a few hours. They're just going to strategize with Klaus about finding the witch, and we need to talk." Caroline reprimanded.

"It's fine, Elena." Damon said as he smiled at her.

With that, Elena followed Caroline upstairs to Damon's room where Caroline explained the origins of the first mated pair, including the parts about consummating the relationship, which caused Caroline to shudder in disgust at the thought.

"Don't sit in judgment unless you're prepared to be judged, Care."

"What. Are. You. Thinking?" Caroline whisper shouted.

"Care, I love him." Elena answered.

"No. You don't. It's just this stupid sire bond thing." She whined.

"It's not a sire bond Care. It's different. He tried to invoke the sire bond and it did nothing. I think Klaus is right."

"Well, Klaus also said the bond can be broken. Don't you want to know if you'd feel the same way if that bond didn't exist?" Caroline asked.

"Honestly? No. I don't care. Remember when Tyler was trapped by the sire bond with Klaus?"

"Yes. I do."

"Well, he HATED Klaus, regardless of the bond. He did whatever he said, but he still hated him. So why should this be any different. Damon isn't ordering me around like his own personal barbie doll, and he loves me. I love him. Klaus even said, this kind of bond doesn't occur unless both parties are in love before the bond is made active at turning. For us, the bond is a physical bond…" She started.

"Oh gross, Elena. You can't be serious!"

"Stop it, Care. Need I remind you that you are in a dangerous flirtation of your own?" Elena spat.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on Clarice, you can't deny you are infatuated with Hannibal Lector." Elena said in exasperation.

"Klaus? God no." Caroline whined.

"Really, is that why you bat your eyelashes and look at him like he's a slice of chocolate cake?"

"What? I can't help it, he's very attractive, but that doesn't mean I want to jump his bones!" She shouted.

"Oh, I don't know. Besides, there was a time when Damon was good enough for you."

"Oh come on, I was compelled. Why does everyone forget that?"

"You weren't compelled to sleep with him. You were compelled to forget he was feeding on you. Sleeping with him you did all on your own, Care."

"Whatever. Just don't sleep with him until we figure out more about this….this….this bond! I'm going to go call Bonnie." Caroline said in defeat as she left the room.

Once Caroline left the room, Elena made her way downstairs to talk to Damon and Stefan.

"So, Caroline was telling me about Ernesto and Evangeline, do you really think this is the same thing?" Elena asked.

"I don't know. We won't know until we find the witch, but the good news is Jeremy was able to see the mark and it's completed." Stefan answered.

"So, we're supposed to just trust Klaus?" Damon asked.

"No, but he is the only one that I know who can read the mark, so we're going to have to work with him." Stefan said.

"Then maybe we should be talking to him." Elena thought aloud.

"I guess…." Stefan started before he looked around like he was straining to see or hear something.

"What is it?" Damon asked.

Stefan finally brushed it off and said, "Nothing. I'm sure it's nothing. I guess maybe we should talk to Klaus."

Stefan's behavior had both Damon and Elena on edge, though they decided that was more a product of their guilty conscience than anything else.

"Barbie call Sabrina and tell her we'll be back later. Girls night will have to wait." Damon shouted before heading out the door.

Stefan waited on the landing for Caroline and followed in his own car.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

When they arrived at Klaus', he was waiting by the door. Stefan and Caroline made their way into the living room as Klaus bent down and kissed Elena on the cheek, "You're positively glowing love. I can only guess what that could mean."

She took a step back in shock before shooting a look toward Damon who was immediately at her side.

"Not to worry, I will keep your secret for now." Klaus whispered so low only they could hear.

Elena nodded and moved towards the living room, but she halted as she saw Stefan once again straining to hear something.

"Stefan is there a reason you look so uncomfortable?" Klaus asked.

"Did you eat a mad cow?" Damon asked. "Or a rabid bunny perhaps?"

"No, I'm just distracted I guess." Stefan answered as he glared at his brother.

"Okay." Caroline said as she looked him over like he had lost his mind while trying not to laugh at Damon's assessment.

Klaus couldn't help but laugh.

"So, what brings the Scooby gang out so late on a school night?" Elijah said as he entered the room.

"We came back to talk about the hunter's mark among other things." Damon offered.

"Ah yes, well, that is more NiKlaus' area of expertise."

"The witch's progeny is in New Orleans, so that seems like a good place to start." Klaus stated. "I've never known a witch who didn't document their exploits so hopefully the answers will be there."

"So a road trip. This seems like a genuinely bad idea." Damon muttered.

"Come on, it will be fun." Klaus said. "Like old times, right Stefan. Remember the last time we were in New Orleans?"

"I've spend the better part of a century trying to forget, Klaus."

"Oh come on mate, we had some good times." Klaus said.

"Good times for the Ripper maybe." Stefan added.

"Yes, well I am partial to the Ripper."

"Damon, you should come with us. Caroline and Bonnie can go stay at the boarding house with Elena until we get back. We won't be gone longer than a day, two tops. Think you can handle that?" Stefan asked Damon as he looked at Elena.

"I don't think I have a choice." Damon said. "So, we'll go pack a bag and meet back here in an hour?"

Klaus rubbed his hands together and said, "Looking forward to it."

As soon as the door closed, Elijah shot a look to Klaus and said, "How long do you think you'll be able to keep their secret under wraps stuck in a car with two brothers looking to mark their territory? This is a terrible idea. Once Stefan knows your role in their bond being completed, he's going to start looking for a reason for your duplicity."

"I'm counting on the Ripper making a return appearance, and I'm confident that HE will happily do my bidding once his heart is shattered into a million tiny pieces by his brother for the last time." Klaus shared.

"NiKlaus, no matter how many times Damon has let Stefan down, he has always come to his brother's aid when he needed him. What makes you think this will be any different, especially when you throw a second person he cares for into the mix. I'm not sure anything can truly come between the two of them, not even the beautiful Elena."

"I don't know, love and heartbreak have started many a war, brother. Besides, we don't even know if there is cause for concern yet. What happened with Evangeline and Ernesto may not occur with Damon and Elena, which is exactly why we need to see this witch."

"And you don't think Damon and Stefan will wonder where this is going when she shares what she knows?"

"You underestimate me, brother. I will handle the witch." Klaus told him.

"You're playing a dangerous game, brother." Elijah said.

"I will have my Petrova bloodline back, Elijah and if this works it will be infinitely more powerful." Klaus said. "The possibilities are endless brother."

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

"Klaus knows." Elena whispered as soon as Damon started the car.

"Knows what?"

"That we had sex!"

Damon closed his eyes as he considered the possibilities before saying, "He probably just said that to gauge your reaction. How could he possibly know for sure?" Damon asked.

"I guess you're right, but my reaction probably confirmed whatever he thinks he knows."

"If it did, he would have gone ballistic." Damon said. "Unless…."

Elena glared at Damon and shouted, "Unless what?"

"Unless that was exactly what he wanted. Think about it."

"Then why fight so hard to keep us from learning about completing the bond?" She asked.

"For Stefan. It has to be for Stefan's benefit."

"Okay, but then that begs the question, why bother? What does he get out of this that's better than me being human again?"

"I don't know, but I'm damn sure going to do whatever I can to find out." Damon said as they pulled up outside the boarding house.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Bonnie arrived shortly after Damon and Stefan left for Klaus' to find Caroline and Elena popping the top on a bottle of champagne handing one to Care and Bonnie before filling her glass with blood now that she was finally getting used to the "juice box" as Damon liked to call them.

"What are we celebrating?" She asked.

"I don't know, it's just a lot more palatable than Damon's bourbon I thought." Elena laughed.

"Well, I think I have something even better." Bonnie said as she held up a bag with what looked like roots and herbs.

"Is that some kind of witchy stoner tea?" Caroline asked.

"It's just some herbs, they're perfectly harmless. Shane and I have been working on some little spells. Nothing major, but it's starting to get easier. This helps a lot."

"Ooh, so now he's just Shane?" Caroline asked.

"Whatever. He's helping me, and that's all that I care about." Bonnie said.

An hour later the girls were a sufficiently drunk and pleasantly loopy from the combination of alcohol and herbs, or blood in Elena's case. That's when they ended up in Damon's room.

"God, I love this room!" Elena said as she jumped onto the bed. "Why didn't I spend more time in here before?"

"Because that bed was occupied with Damon's skank of the day more often than not." Caroline said.

"Come on. Let's not go there, we were having so much fun." Bonnie said.

"Please, don't stop on my account, but remind me again how you ended up being one of those skanks, Care." Elena asked.

"Because I didn't know what a sociopathic, narcissist he was." Caroline defended.

"He's always been there when I needed him." Elena pointed out.

"Yeah, because he's still holding out hope that you'll sleep with him." Caroline retorted.

"Well, maybe I did."

"You. Did. What?" Caroline shouted angrily.

"You didn't." Bonnie looking more concerned than angry.

"Yeah, I did! And maybe, just maybe I was hoping you two would be a little more supportive, and a little less judgmental because I love him. And Care, your a hypocrite for even pretending Damon is as bad as you say he is given that you sleep with a drawing that Klaus gave you under your pillow. Who's the real sociopath in this equation." She said calmly as she walked over to the door and held it open gesturing for them to leave her alone.

"Elena, wait." Bonnie said.

"No. Please just go." She answered as the two girls walked out with their heads hung in defeat.

When they hit the bottom of the stairs, Elena heard Caroline whisper, "I'm sorry, Elena," and that was all it took for the tears to fall.

Elena crawled into Damon's bed and laid her head against his pillow pulling out her phone to send him a message.

_Please come home soon, I miss you._

As soon as her message was sent, Elena laid her head down and breathed in Damon's scent as it surrounded her.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Damon was seated in the back seat of the car as they were getting ready to cross the state line when his phone pinged with the new message. He smiled as he read it, then started to type out his own message.

Back at the boarding house, Bonnie and Caroline were cleaning up the mess in the living room when they heard Elena scream. Both of them ran up the stairs to see what the commotion was about.

"Elena! Elena!" Bonnie shouted as they rounded the corner and found her holding her chest and crying out for Damon.

Caroline immediately called Damon.

"What is it Barbie?" Damon spat.

"You need to come back. It's Elena." She cried.

"What!" She heard him say before he spoke to Klaus, "You need to take me back, something's wrong with Elena." Damon shouted.

"Who's on the phone?" Klaus asked.

"Caroline." Damon answered as Klaus took the phone and spoke, "What's happening?"

"I don't know." She cried. "We were downstairs when we heard Elena screaming. When we got to her she was curled up holding her chest and crying out for Damon."

"What's she doing now?"

"Nothing, she's so still."

"Alright love, we'll be there as fast as we can. Just try to keep her calm until we get back." Klaus said as he hung up the phone and handed it to Damon.

"She's going to be okay, mate." Klaus offered as Damon texted Bonnie.

_Is there anything you can do? ~D_

_I'm trying to ease the pain, not sure if it's working...~B_

_Tell her I'm on my way, and I love her. ~D_

_She's in bad shape Damon, hurry. ~B_

* * *

Okay, now this is just mean I know :) But, I had to stop there or this would be a 5000 word chapter...and I know you are probably thinking "Why is that bad?" the answer is, I have to work tomorrow and I'd stay up til 3 in the morning writing so I could post, and it would be un-betad because my house mate (and beta) would be asleep. So, instead I'm giving you a big fat cliff hanger...which I will resolve tomorrow, I promise.

You can send me hate mail if you want to, but I'd rather hear what you think of the chapter ; }

Xoxo,

Livia


	18. Show Me

**Show Me**

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries, but I do own the cliff that I threw all of you off of last time and as it turns out, a rope...so I'll pull you up shortly :) No copyright infringement intended.**

As promised, I didn't leave you hanging long :) We'll pick up where the last chapter left off. I really appreciate all of the readers and reviewers. You're all my reason for being able to update so fast. It's hard not to get inspired when everyone has been so supportive!

For once, I'm going to shut up and get right to it :)

Xoxo

Livi

* * *

_Set me like a star before the morning  
Like a sun that steals the darkness from a world asleep  
And I'll illuminate the path You've laid before me  
But for now just let me be_

_Bind up these broken bones  
Mercy bend and bring me back to life  
But not before You show me how to die  
No, not before You show me how to die_

_Show Me by Audrey Assad_

By the time they arrived at the boarding house, Damon was beside himself with worry. It was a sight that no one was prepared for.

"Come on mate, she's going to be okay." Klaus said as concern threatened to be exposed in his voice.

Damon lunged from the car before Klaus had a chance to stop and ran towards the house bursting through the door. He could hear Bonnie and Caroline talking softly to Elena, but Elena's voice was the one he really needed to hear, and it was absent.

"Lena?" Damon yelled as he took the steps two at a time.

"Lena!" He yelled again as he opened his bedroom door.

What he saw would have stopped his heart and killed him on the spot, if it had been required to beat in the first place to sustain his life.

"Oh god." He said as he ran to her side.

Elena was curled up on his bed, her hair stuck to her neck and cheeks and her hands were clutched tightly to her chest as she shook violently.

Caroline climbed away from Elena's side as soon as she saw Damon, but not before she got a little lost in the sight of him. He looked so broken as he stared at Elena and in that moment, she knew just how important she was to him.

"I'm sorry Damon." She said as she scooted past him with tears in her eyes.

The sentiment was lost on him as he stared right through her on his way to Elena and lifted her into his arms holding her close as he felt the heat radiating off of her skin.

"It's okay Elena. I'm here. I'm right here." He whispered as tears fell rapidly from his lashes.

"What can I do?" Bonnie asked.

"Run cold water in the bath, I need to cool her off." Damon whispered.

Bonnie didn't wait for further instruction, seconds later Damon heard the water running.

After a few minutes, she came out and said, "It's ready. Anything else you need?" She asked.

"Call Professor Shane."

"I will." Bonnie said as she kissed Elena's forehead and touched Damon's cheek. "We're going to help her, Damon."

He nodded as he walked into the bathroom and sat in the freezing cold water with her cradle in his arms. The bite of the cold water didn't even register as he whispered softly against her ear.

"Come on Elena, stay with me. I just got you. This isn't all we get, do you hear me?" He cried as he kissed her gently.

Stefan watched from the doorway as he saw the love his brother had for her and his heart was breaking because for the first time, he was afraid he would lose them both. With that thought he slid down the wall he'd been leaning against and let the tears fall as he looked into his brothers eyes. He could feel the fear that pulsed between them and he knew without a doubt that Damon would not survive losing her like this, and if he was being honest neither would he.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

While Damon and Stefan watched over Elena, Caroline paced the hall until Klaus came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"She's going to be okay, love. We'll find an answer." He said.

"I was such a bitch to her. Oh god, if she dies…." She stuttered.

Klaus turned her and held her cheeks in his hands, "Love, listen to me." He said searching her eyes as he tried to convey his confidence to her. "She is not going to die and there will be plenty of time for you to apologize later, but right now she needs you to be calm. Elijah is on his way with my mother's journals and I sent my hybrids to get the witch, and Bonnie is on the phone with Professor Shane. In an hours time, we're going to have more power under one roof than we'll know what to do with, we're going to find a way to help her."

Caroline didn't know what else to do, so she threw her arms around a very surprised Klaus. After a moment, she felt his arms come around her enveloping her in the comfort he was offering.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Your welcome, love." He answered with a smile as her pretty eyes searched his.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Professor Shane arrived an hour later with boxes full of Bonnie's Grams' journals spreading them out over the dining room table along with the books Elijah had brought.

Bonnie, Caroline and Klaus joined both of them, each taking a book and flipping through it unsure of what they were looking for.

They poured over books that Elijah and Professor Shane had brought for what seemed like hours, and still there was nothing that might be helpful.

"I have to ask, are they mated?" Professor Shane said breaking the tense silence.

"Yes." Stefan answered as he entered the room.

"Have they completed the bond?" Professor Shane asked as he looked around the room.

"I don't think…." Stefan started to answer before he was interrupted.

"Yes." Klaus answered as he looked at Stefan who looked absolutely destroyed by this revelation.

Everyone watched as Stefan pinched the bridge of his nose and left the room. A moment later, they heard the sounds of shattering glass and splintering wood before they heard footsteps on the stairs followed by yelling.

"This is you're fault. You did this to her!" Stefan yelled at Damon.

"You can kill me later, if she dies I won't even fight you." Damon said softly as he tucked Elena under the covers and joined her throwing their towels on the floor as he went back to trying to regulate her temperature.

"If she dies, you'll lose them both Stefan. Their lives are tied together now." Klaus said cautiously as he entered the room.

Stefan stared at Elena and Damon as he tried to process what Klaus told him before turning to leave the room.

"How is she?" He asked Damon.

"She's freezing now. I can't seem to keep her from one extreme to the other. We have to do something." Damon said as he did the unthinkable and put his faith in Klaus.

"My hybrids are on the way back with the witch now."

"Do you know what's happening to her?" Damon asked.

"Honestly, no. What happened before, it was nothing like this." Klaus answered.

"Klaus, I need to know what happened before. Did Evangeline die?" Damon pleaded.

"Yes. She did."

"How?"

"She rejected the child." Klaus answered.

"What?" Damon asked.

"She was pregnant, but her body just couldn't sustain a vampire fetus, she slaughtered more than half of the village trying to feed its thirst."

"Then how did she die?" Damon asked afraid of what the answer might be.

"She starved, there was never enough blood."

"Is this how it happened? How long do we have?" Damon asked as panic filled his head.

"No. She was about eight months along, and this never happened."

"Then why is this happening?"

"I honestly don't know." Klaus answered.

"Then find out!" Damon bellowed as everything in the room began to shake violently.

Klaus glanced around and held his hands up in surrender as he backed out of the room and closed the door.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

"Elena, please. Please don't give up on us. I need you." Damon said as he let the tears fall again.

He closed his eyes and prayed that he wouldn't lose her, until he felt her cool fingers brush against his cheek.

"Lena?" He whispered as he opened his eyes and looked down into hers.

"Hi." She whispered closing her eyes as his lips pressed to her forehead.

"Tell me what's going on, princess." Damon said.

"I'm starving." She whispered hoarsely.

"I can fix that." He answered as he started to get up.

"No, please don't leave me." She cried as she weakly tried to pull him back into bed.

"I'll come right back." He said as he looked into her panic stricken eyes.

"Please."

With that, he sat back down and pulled her into his lap before he opened a vein and pressed his wrist to her mouth allowing her to drink.

Her eyes darkened as she let her teeth break the skin further before gulping down what he had offered. Damon held her close against his side and brushed her hair back over her shoulder as he watched the black lines travel down her neck and over her chest and that's when he heard it.

It was a tiny thump at first, but the more she drank the louder and more pronounced it got.

It was a heartbeat, more specifically it was Elena's heartbeat but here she was starving for blood.

"How can that be?" Damon wondered aloud.

Elena stopped drinking and looked up at Damon in question.

"That heartbeat, can you hear it? Feel it?" Damon asked.

Elena jerked back so hard as she heard it and felt it for the first time that she fell from the bed, she almost collided with the floor, but Damon somehow managed to grab her out of the air and set her on her feet. When they heard the others coming to see what the commotion was about he quickly tossed her a t-shirt and threw on a pair of shorts before the door flung open.

"Elena, your awake!" Caroline screeched as she ran towards Elena.

When she wrapped her arms around her, she felt the excessive heat radiating from her skin once again and looked up to see the sickening pallor that had been present earlier.

"You need blood." Caroline suggested.

"She just nearly drank me dry." Damon shared as he glanced at his brother who tossed him two blood bags.

Damon popped the top on one and handed it to Elena then watched her as she gulped at it until moments later she coughed it up in a fit.

"Damon?" She cried in confusion.

"It's okay. You're going to be okay." He said as he took the bag and situated himself in the chair in the corner before pulling her into his lap.

Damon drained both bags before he glanced around the room at all of the eyes that were glued to them, and nodded to Elena who promptly sunk her teeth into his shoulder and pulled heavily as he tilted his head back.

"You're going to need more blood." The witch said as she entered the room with two of Klaus' hybrids.

"It's too soon for her to be pregnant, isn't it?" Klaus asked as all eyes landed on him instantly.

All eyes except for Elena's who was lost in the feed.

"She could be, but that's not the problem. At least not right now anyway." The witch answered.

"You knew about this?" Damon bellowed.

"Not exactly this. I knew it was possible for a mated pair to procreate. If I can't have her human, I can at least ensure that the Petrova blood line carries on." Klaus said. "But, this...I don't know what's happening to her."

"Her vampire side is rejecting the human side." The witch supplied.

"How can that be?" Damon asked.

"Oh god. I don't think it's what your thinking. She's a….hybrid." Klaus said as he stared at her with wonder and maybe a touch of trepidation. "How did I miss that. She's a vampire-human hybrid."

"No. She's a vampire-doppelgänger hybrid. She carries with her the power of every female in her lineage and she shares that power with her mate hence the fact that his blood can sustain her, for now." The witch said.

"So what do we do?" Damon asked. "If my blood can't sustain her forever, what do we do?"

"She needs the blood of HER doppelgänger to complete this transition." Klaus surmised.

"Oh well, that should be easy. How the hell are we supposed to even find the she-bitch?" Damon spat.

* * *

Oh yes, once again I leave you on the edge of the cliff, but at least I threw you some rope…

I hope that you didn't see that coming ;} I've been trying so hard to keep from revealing too much. So what did you think?

Will Katherine help willingly? And what does this mean for everyone else? What do you think will happen once she transitions?

I will try really hard to get one more update in tonight...not sure if it'll happen, but I will try.

Love to all of my reviewers, you guys make me want to quit working and write all day and all night :)

Livi


	19. Find A Way

**Find A Way**

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries, nor do I receive any kind of compensation for the stories I write involving The Vampire Diaries (though I would love to pick the brains of those who do because they're geniuses :). I do however enjoy wrecking havoc in the lives of the characters we love so much. No copyright infringement intended.**

Sorry for the GINORMOUS cliff hanger in the last chapter. I am finding the further I get into this the more I need to break up the chapters a bit to make sure they are coherent and no one misses anything...I feel like if they get to long it's easy to glance over smaller clues. Maybe it's just because I write late at night or something…

Anyway, lots of love to the reviewers. I would probably be on chapter 3 without your support ;} You are amazing as always!

This is a shorter chapter only because it jumps around to several locations which can get confusing...and it does jump ahead about a week, FYI.

How about we check in on Delena and see how the search for Katherine is going…

Xoxo

Livi

* * *

_Hold on, I'll be here when it's all done you know  
Cause what's the point in chasing if I can't enjoy your face and  
We can't be wrong tonight, can we be wrong tonight  
_

_You know I'm gonna find a way to let you have your way with me  
You know I'm gonna find a time to catch your hand and make you stay_

_Find a Way by SafetySuit_

It had been a week since Klaus, Jeremy, Elijah and Tyler had set out to look for Katherine. They had narrowed it down to Chicago and New York, so they'd split up in order to speed up the search.

In the meantime, Elena was beginning to get stronger, while Damon was beginning to grow weaker, and it was killing everyone around them who had to watch it happen.

Every time Elena fed, the need grew. She was almost insatiable and Damon could barely consume enough blood to keep up with her.

"I'm starting to see the error of my ways." Damon joked weakly as he let Elena open the vein near his neck and thought about his days of using his women as walking, talking blood banks, though he knew there was nothing shallow about his relationship with Elena.

Tears leaked from her eyes as she felt his strength leave his body and pour into hers.

"Damon, I can't. I can't take any more from you!" She cried as she looked into his pale blue eyes.

"Lena, I would give you every last drop."

"Damon, I know you would, but I won't let you." She whispered.

Stefan came into the room with more blood bags, but stopped short when he saw them. You could see the shadow of bone beneath skin. It was almost as if Damon's life flowed into Elena and he knew it was killing his brother. For all the bad blood, he couldn't imagine a life where Damon ceased to exist. And if Klaus were to be believed, Elena would be soon to follow. Especially if they didn't find Katherine soon.

And that was another thing entirely. Katherine had never done anything for them that they didn't pay for…dearly.

"Elena, could you give us a minute?" Stefan asked.

"Sure." She said as she put a hand on his shoulder.

Stefan could see what this was costing her as well. The energy didn't last as long now, and she was finding it harder and harder to feed knowing how it was affecting Damon.

Once he heard her rummaging around upstairs, Stefan sat down and handed a blood bag to Damon before he said, "How long do you think you can keep laundering blood like this and survive?"

"As long as I have to." Damon said. "Which hopefully won't be long...did they find her yet?"

"No, but Klaus thinks they're getting closer." He said trying to sound hopeful despite Damon's appearance. "I have to ask, what if they don't find her? Or worse, they do and she says no?"

"If she's alive and she says no, I'll kill her myself." Damon said as he struggled to stand up.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Elena." He said as Stefan stood and helped him to his room where they found her trying to hide the tears that fell in torrents.

She stood and walked towards him grabbing him as he stumbled and led him to the bed as Stefan went back downstairs.

"Damon I can't do this anymore. I would rather die than watch you get worse." She cried.

"No. They are going to find Katherine and we are both going to be fine." He said firmly as he wiped the tears from her eyes feeling the last of his energy falling away with her tears.

As Damon closed his eyes, Elena did the only thing she could think of to make him stronger, she opened the flesh just to the left of her collarbone and leaned forward letting the blood flow over his lips until she felt his teeth pierce her skin.

A moan tore from his lips as her blood covered his palate and his eyes shot open.

"Elena, NO!" He yelled as Stefan and Caroline came running into the room.

"What happened?" Stefan asked as he looked between them.

"She's lost her mind!" Damon said as he wiped her blood from his lips. "You can't do that. I can't let you die."

"Then we're even." Elena said sounding weaker than she had just a few minutes earlier.

"I won't do this anymore, so you tell Klaus if he needs to keep up the Petrova line so badly, he'd better find Katherine and drag her ass back here." She said to Caroline and Stefan.

"Lena, he'll find her...you just need to do whatever you have to until he gets back." Caroline offered.

"At Damon's expense? Care, No. I won't." She said as her voice began to crack.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Jeremy looked on as Klaus talked to Caroline. He tried not to sound concerned, but Jeremy could tell that something was seriously wrong on the home front.

"Hello, love. How are they?"

"Not good. Elena just force fed Damon her blood. He can barely move, Stefan had to help him upstairs, and Elena was doing better, but the more she feeds, the more she needs to feed and it's killing her to watch what it's doing to Damon."

"So, she's doing better?" Klaus asked.

"NO! God aren't you listening to me?" She asked.

"Of course, love."

"Is Jeremy sitting right there?"

"See, that's what I love about you, not just a pretty face." Klaus said, but the teasing tone wasn't there. He was worried.

"Any luck with Katherine?"

"We're on our way to Chicago to meet Elijah and Tyler. They found her apartment and it sounds like she's been there in the last day or two, so she can't be far."

"And what if you can't get her to help?"

"I can and I will get her to help, love. She's been running from me for over 500 years, and I can put an end to that. She won't say no." Klaus said.

"She's Katherine. She might, especially if it hurts Damon and Stefan; hurting Elena is just a bonus." Caroline added.

"Then I'll bleed her dry and bring her back in a bottle, makes no difference to me." Klaus growled.

"I don't care how you bring her back, as long as you do." Caroline said.

When Klaus hung up, he couldn't help the sigh that fell from his lips.

"They're not doing well are they?" Jeremy asked.

"They'll be fine." Klaus said tightly.

"For the record, I'll hold the bottle. I'm not letting my sister die, again." Jeremy said with a new resolve.

Klaus nodded and they drove the last three hours in silence.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

When they arrived in Chicago, they pulled into the alley behind the apartment building where Katherine had been living. Elijah had found her after he compelled a half a dozen people to narrow down her whereabouts.

Klaus and Jeremy made their way into the building where Elijah and Tyler were staying across the hall from Katherine's apartment. They had compelled the elderly woman to let them stay in order to keep their arrival from her when she turned up.

"Hello mate, any sign of her?" Klaus asked Tyler once the elderly woman invited them in.

"Not yet, but it turns out Mrs. Jameson is quite the busybody. She told us what time she comes in from work and it turns out that's in about twenty minutes." Tyler shared.

"Excellent. We'll have her back by breakfast." Klaus said.

As anticipated, Katherine turned up about a half an hour later and Jeremy was standing in the hallway watching as she approached.

"Little Gilbert? What kind of trouble has your sister gotten herself into now?"

"Actually, it's Damon. He's dying." Jeremy stated.

"Really, and I should care why? After all, I am team Stefan." Katherine asked.

" But, if Damon dies Stefan is going to need someone and I would prefer it not be my sister. So I've come to ask you to get him out of Mystic Falls."

"Hmmm. No." She said without thought.

"Oh come on love, you can't really be that afraid of me." Klaus asked casually as he stepped out of the shadows and leveled her with his best and most lethal smile.

Katherine's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, but the words just didn't come.

"Oh I know, not exactly the most likely of mates." Klaus said as he pointed to Jeremy, "But, we do have a common goal and that is to save the Petrova line and his sister."

"And h-h-ow do I factor in?" She asked with caution.

"Well, you have two options. You can willing go with us and find out, or I'll bleed you dry and lock you back in that tomb. Either way, I get what I want."

"Why would I go willingly?"

"Because if you do, I will stop hunting you and let you leave in peace. And if you don't Katerina, you will rot for eternity in a tomb alone."

"I-I-I'll just need to get some things." Katherine said as she bolted for her apartment door.

"Mmmm, I do love it when they run!" Klaus said as he tore the door from it's hinges smirking as Tyler and Elijah appeared between Katherine and the only other exit, the fire escape.

Klaus wrapped his fingers in her hair and said, "Tyler, do us a favor and give her a little incentive not to run."

Tyler looked at Klaus and then smiled, "This is a first, but I'd be happy to."

Katherine actually whimpered when she saw his eyes flash yellow a second before Tyler sunk his teeth into her flesh, biting harder than necessary as he inflicted as much pain as possible before he looked up and smiled, "That's for Caroline." He whispered as he flung her over his shoulder and followed Klaus down to their cars.

Once she was situated in the back seat, Klaus said "Now, you're going to want to sit here quietly, moving around will help the venom travel through your system and we wouldn't want you to suffer unnecessarily."

"You won't let me die," She said.

"Oh no, of course not. But, I can cure you and have Tyler bite you again, and again, and again."

"Fine, but will you at least tell me what you need from me?" She asked.

"I need your blood, Katerina."

"You have a doppelgänger for that. My blood is of no use to you." She told him.

"Katerina, your blood is needed for a new kind of hybrid." Klaus said.

Katherine gasped as she recalled exactly how Klaus had activated his wolf side and it didn't involve a living donor at the end of the day.

* * *

Next chapter will go up tomorrow evening, and it will cover a lot of ground. I hope you liked this one :)

Xoxo

Livi


	20. Better Than Revenge

**Better Than Revenge**

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries. No Copyright infringement intended.**

You may have noticed the amazing new cover for this story, if you haven't go take a look...I'll wait for you :)

**It was created by my reader, friend and fellow writer Fashionista1988. Thanks Jess, it's beautiful and perfect for them. If you all haven't checked out her story...it's called **

**Lights, Camera, Taste**

** and it is also AMAZING!**

So, what do you think is going to happen with Katherine? And how do you think she's going to feel knowing Elena is not only a vampire, but also possibly a hybrid capable of now exacting revenge for every horrible thing Katherine has done...and she was afraid of Klaus, silly girl ;}

* * *

_Soon she's gonna find  
Stealing other people's toys  
On the playground won't  
Make you many friends_

_She should keep in mind  
She should keep in mind  
There is nothing I do better than revenge  
_

_Do you still feel like you know what you're doing?  
'Cause I don't think you do. Oh.  
Do you still feel like you know what you're doing?  
I don't think you do_

_Better Than Revenge by Taylor Swift_

Katherine was starting to hallucinate by the time they got her back to the boarding house. They stashed her in the cellar so she couldn't do any harm and Klaus headed upstairs to find out how Damon and Elena were doing.

Klaus was the first one to enter the room when he spotted Caroline sitting next to the bed with her head down, his heart broke when she turned towards him with big tears in her eyes.

"Did you find her?"

"Yes, love. She's in the cellar. I had Tyler bite her, so she's a little out of sorts, but we'll fix that." He said as he brushed the tears from her cheeks and glanced at Damon and Elena.

"How long has it been since she's fed?" He asked.

"Since I spoke to you yesterday." She answered.

Klaus gasped as he walked to her side of the bed and took in her gaunt appearance, it looked like it had been weeks.

"Judging by how quickly she depletes her resources, I think she's going to be exceedingly powerful." Klaus observed.

"We will never know if she doesn't feed soon." Caroline said.

"I'll be right back."

Klaus left the room in a flourish and headed straight for Katherine, tearing into his own flesh on the way and giving her just enough of his own blood to stop the effects of the wolf venom but still leaving her feeling weak.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked as her eyes darted around.

"To meet the new hybrid." Klaus said as he felt her stiffen under his grip.

"Please Klaus, I'll do anything you want. I'm sorry. I really am." She pleaded.

"Excellent." Klaus said as he stared into her eyes and said, "What I really want is for you to walk into that room and give yourself over to the woman behind this door. Katerina, your blood is vital to her transition and nothing would make me happier."

Klaus watched carefully as her pupils dilated before she opened the door quietly and stepped into the room. He smiled to himself as Caroline came to Klaus' side and the two watched the events unfold before them.

Katherine cautiously walked up to the bed beside the woman, who had her back to Katherine. When she was close enough, Katherine lifted her shoulders from the bed and carefully placed her wrist at her mouth, but she didn't feed. Katherine glanced at Klaus who simply nodded towards the woman.

With that, Katherine sliced open her wrist and once again placed it against her lips. It wasn't until her teeth sunk into the offered flesh that Katherine realized who she had been sent to feed and horror raged in her chest.

Katherine tried to pull away, but Elena sunk her teeth into her flesh a little deeper and jerked her towards her. Within a minute, Elena was holding her with a bone crushing strength and tears began to pool in Katherine's eyes.

"That's enough, sweetheart. Let's allow her to heal and you girls can have a slumber party later." Klaus said as she released Katherine.

Elena glared at Katherine as Klaus led her out and watched her struggle to break free from his hold until Tyler emerged from the shadows and subdued her once again. Elena couldn't help but notice Caroline looking torn as she watched Tyler and Klaus with Katherine and she realized that the two of them were not so different after all.

But those thoughts died as she looked over at Damon. He looked weaker than she'd ever seen him, even when he'd suffered his own bite from Tyler.

"Damon. Damon please open your eyes." She whispered.

When his blue eyes landed on hers, she felt relief flood through her.

"We're going to be okay." She whispered as she opened her neck for him to drink.

"No. I won't do it, Lena. I can wait until they find Katherine." He said as his eyes closed again.

They shot open again when he felt her lift him off the bed with a strength she hadn't possessed in days. Her blood smelled different to him, too. When he looked into her eyes, he knew they had found Katherine.

Elena moaned as she felt Damon finally sink his teeth into her neck. At first he was careful with her, but after a moment she heard him moan and sink his teeth in even deeper as he got stronger. His hands immediately began to clutch at her back as he tried to bring her closer to him, and when he couldn't get what he needed he released her neck so he could latch onto her mouth with a low growl.

Elena smiled as he fell back against the pillows pulling her with him to straddle his lap and instantly she felt the desire that was coursing through him, rivaled only by the desire that she felt.

"They did it!" He whispered against her lips as his hands grasped her hips firmly and pulled her against him in search of friction.

"Mmmmhmmm." She whispered as she pulled the shirt over his head and sent it flying across the room.

"How do you feel?" He asked breathlessly in between kisses.

"Alive." She said as she pulled at the shirt she'd been wearing and sent it to join his.

Damon moaned as he felt her soft skin press against his as she once again found his lips and kissed him aggressively.

When she finally leaned back, her eyes had darkened and he was awe struck by her beauty.

"You're stunning Elena." He whispered as her hands rubbed over the defined ridges of his abs stopping at the waistband of his boxers.

Before he even registered her next move, they were gone and her hands were covering his as they rubbed over the flare of her own hips. He didn't give her a second before the silk scrap tore from her flesh letting it fall to the floor as he eased her down over him ripping a deep groan from his diaphragm.

Damon's eyes rolled back in his head as he felt the power that was passing between them, but the tone changed as Damon let out a laugh.

Elena smiled as she found herself lying on her back with Damon smiling down at her.

"What?" She asked.

"I love you so much." He smiled as he stared into her eyes.

Elena smiled back at him and said, "We're going to be okay!"

The air crackled as their bond snapped back and forth between them.

"I love you, too Damon." She whispered as she let her fingernails scrape over the skin of his lower back causing him to ark up and press into her eliciting moans from both of them.

It would be hours before the two emerged, but to them it felt like mere minutes.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Stefan sat on the stairs as he waited for any sign that they were doing better. He never expected to hear the pleasured moans that emanated from behind the door. So, with that he stood and made his way down to the living room.

Caroline, Jeremy and Klaus paced back and forth as Tyler and Elijah sat with stout glasses of bourbon, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"How are they doing?" Jeremy asked.

"Did it work?" Caroline asked.

"Any change in Damon?" Klaus asked.

"Should we be running?" Elijah wondered.

"Can I kill Katherine yet?" Tyler asked.

Stefan smiled at the last one, but didn't have a chance to answer any of them as Elena sauntered down the stairs behind him.

Her hand rubbed over his shoulder in a comforting manner as she passed him before saying, "If anyone gets to kill Katherine, it's going to be me."

Klaus felt the hair stand on the back of his neck as he felt the malice and intent that dripped from her statement, and yet she looked like the young and innocent Elena he'd met a few years ago. It worried him as he wondered when she might turn that malice towards him, and yet they still had no idea how the transition would affect either of them.

"Where's Damon?" Stefan asked.

"Right here." He said as he bounded down the stairs.

"You ready?" He asked as he turned to Elena.

She smiled and nodded as Klaus asked, "Ready for what?"

"I'm going to see Katherine." She smiled, but a she looked up through her lashes he knew she had something up her sleeve. "But, first I need something from you."

Ever intrigued, Klaus simply nodded and reached for a glass to give her what she requested. A moment later, he watched her run down into the cellar with a glass filled with his blood balanced in her hand.

Damon walked casually over to the bar and poured himself a drink. A smirk formed on his lips as he heard Elena speak to Katherine in the cellar.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

"K-K-Katherine?" She squeaked as she carefully opened the door. "It's Elena."

"Still the vulnerable little girl." Katherine said weakly feeling relieved that she'd been hallucinating earlier.

"I'm not a little girl." Elena responded as she pressed her back to the door holding out the glass with a shaky hand.

"This won't help me." Katherine said as she reached for it.

"It will." Elena answered as she snatched her hand back once Katherine had a firm grip on the glass.

"You do realize how stupid that was, do you not?" Katherine said weakly.

"B-but I helped you."

"You should know by now that I don't do gratitude." Katherine said. "So where's Stefan? And Damon? How do they feel about you coming down here, all alone?"

"They're upstairs."

"Let me guess…They finally got sick of trying to keep the human safe?" Katherine said as she listened to Elena's heartbeat ratchet up a notch while she approached. "I could kill you before they even hit the landing."

Elena backed up against the door and looked nervous as she realized she was out of room and Katherine's eyes darkened.

"Wow, they really aren't going to come down and check on you?" Katherine said as she wrapped her hand around Elena's neck and held her off the ground.

Elena smiled as Katherine's eyes flashed with a memory, or a dream perhaps and dropped her to the ground stepping back like she'd been burned.

"What's the matter? See something you didn't like?" Elena smiled as she stalked towards Katherine.

"Damon? I-I just saw...What. are. you?" Katherine stammered.

"Thanks to you, I'm something that you should fear." Elena growled as Katherine recoiled.

"W-what are you g-going to do?"

"Oh I haven't decided. Maybe we'll keep playing with wolf venom, or perhaps I'll let Klaus have you as a pet, but not before I make you wish you'd never played around with Damon and Stefan, or the rest of the people I care about." She said as she bit into Katherine's neck.

As Katherine's blood flowed over Elena's tongue, Damon stood upstairs pouring every wound she'd ever inflicted into Katherine's thoughts. Every heart ache, every stake, every snapped bone and every deception flooding her head at once causing tremendous pain and making her feel everything...MORE as Elena magnified the ache with her savage bite.

When she felt like her world was about to collapse around her, Elena shoved her back hard into the wall listening as her now frail bones fractured with a painful thud. A bright light assailed her senses as Damon appeared at the door and tossed a blood bag her way before sipping Katherine's blood from Elena's lips.

"Mmmm. She tastes a lot better on you." He whispered as he leaned into the kiss breaking Katherine's heart further.

A moment later, Elena turned and smiled at Katherine as she opened the blood bag and crouched before her holding the bag up to her mouth before she said, "Drink up. Because tomorrow, you're going to pay for Stefan."

Elena pat Katherine's cheek softly and smiled down at her like a mother comforting a child, but her eyes told a different story. Katherine shuddered as she watched Elena's back just before the door slammed shut sealing her in darkness once more.

* * *

So, what did you think. A little taste of the power they share, but Elena just had to get a little retribution before they really begin to explore what her new hybrid status means for her...and Damon. One things for certain...She's not afraid of Katherine anymore.

I hope that you liked it. As always your reviews are amazing and I love hearing from all of you.

And Tara, it's not exactly jealous Elena...but I thought perhaps a vengeful Elena might make you happy, too :)


	21. Perfect Harmony

**Perfect Harmony**

**I don't own The Vampire Diaries, but boy do I wish I'd thought of it :) Since I didn't I can only pretend for a few minutes. I do not receive compensation for this story, this is merely for fun...so please enjoy :) NO copyright infringement intended.**

Can I just say WOW! Apparently everyone really likes Bad Ass Elena! So, I thought now would be a good time to see just what Damon and Elena are capable of :) Sorry for the delay, work and no sleep kind of kicked my butt today...but I swear to you it will be worth it.

**Just a warning: Do not read this chapter at work...don't say I didn't warn you.**

No hints...but I will give you just a little taste of Karoline, a build up to a special request in a later chapter/outtake if you will. Kettle, this chapter is for you...xo, pot ;}

Everyone please feel free to thank him (SpiritedGhost) for his prompt of "giving something that is exclusive to DElena as a mated pair"...And go visit his profile to read his stories, too!

Though I'm not sure this is what you had in mind Mur, it does give new meaning to the term, Role Play :)

xoxo, livi

* * *

_Never thought there was one like you  
pure at heart, eyes so blue  
and yes you took… my breath away…  
have to admit it  
never found someone like me  
good with words, lyrically  
but just as scared to open up their soul…_

_see love and chase it  
and when I see your face  
I smile yea It just hits me  
my heart races, gets all jittery  
And that first time we kissed  
I could feel it takin' over me  
mendin' my heart, yeah… slowly_

_Perfect Harmony by Jillian Jensen_

Elena and Damon rejoined the group in the living room after their chat with Katherine and noticed that Stefan was nowhere to be found, but before they had a chance to dwell on that, closely guarded laughter began to spill from the other vampires and hybrids in the room. Clearly someone had filled Jeremy in on the overheard conversation, because he was holding in a tightly guarded laugh of his own until he made eye contact with Damon.

"And the Oscar goes to….Miss Elena Gilbert." Damon said as he laughed at Katherine's expense.

"You don't think I over sold it?" Elena asked.

Damon just smiled as he looked at the beautifully lethal woman at his side, and all he wanted to do was kick everyone out of the house and take her back to bed. Instead, he gave his best devil may care smirk and held up his fingers as he whispered, "Just a bit."

Elena smacked his shoulder, but her smile told the real story as he pulled her in and hugged her tightly. "Thank you."

"For what?" She asked.

"For being all uber-vengeance vamp for me." He smiled.

"I don't have much family left, but you are a part of my family. I defend my family." She said as she took in the wonder in his eyes.

"Family." He said as he smiled and held her hand to his chest before he leaned down and gently kissed her lips.

"For the record, I vote for a new pet. I always did fancy a bitch." Klaus said with a slight chuckle.

"Oh ewww." Caroline whined.

"A dog, love." Klaus said as they all heard Katherine screaming out her disdain for that comparison.

Tyler smiled at the joke, but everyone could see how difficult it was for him to watch the banter between Klaus and Caroline.

"I really need to get going, I promised Matt I'd help him move in with Jeremy tomorrow...Gilbert, you need a ride?" Tyler asked tightly.

"Yeah, if you don't mind." He answered as he stood and walked over to Elena.

"I'm really happy to see you feeling better." He whispered as he hugged her. "You, too Damon."

"Thanks to you...all of you." Damon said as Elena nodded in agreement.

"I love you, Jer." Elena said as she hugged him again.

With that, the two of them left and Elijah wasn't far behind.

"Goodnight." He said as he made his way to the door leaving Damon and Elena with Caroline and Klaus.

"I'm so glad to see both of you looking like yourselves again." Caroline nearly screamed as she threw her arms around Elena.

When she got to Damon, she was a little more cautious as she wrapped her arms around him and said, "I know I haven't been your biggest supporter…"

"Support isn't even close to the word I'd use for what you've been." Damon smirked.

"You're not making this any easier."

"Wasn't trying to Barbie." He smiled.

"I was wrong to judge you based on who you've been, because the person I met several years ago...he isn't the person that's standing in front of me. I know now that you would do anything for Elena, even die for her...So, I'm sorry and, I was….wrong."

Damon smiled and kissed her forehead as he whispered, "We've all done things that we aren't proud of, but it's the people in our lives that make us want to do better...to be better...they make this life worth living. Love changes us. It's changed me." He finished as he kissed Elena's cheek.

"I see that now." She whispered as she glanced at Klaus who smiled back at her.

"Can I get anyone a drink?" Damon asked trying to dispell the tension of the moment.

"Love one." Klaus answered as Damon took down a glass for each of them and poured two fingers of bourbon in each.

The four of them sat down in front of the fire and watched it roar for a few minutes before Klaus finally broke the comfortable silence, "So, Damon what did you make Katherine see when she was threatening Elena?"

"He gave her my memories. How it felt when I ripped into her neck and drank her blood, the power that surged through my veins as I crushed the bones in her wrist when she pulled away, the tears in her eyes. Then he gave her the euphoric feelings we felt as Damon drank from me afterwards." She smiled.

Klaus looked between them before he started to speak, "Damon was unconscious when you fed off of Katherine, how could he..."

"When we were in the tunnels with Connor, I thought about turning him and she did it because she saw it. It was unconscious then, but since...well...now I can see her thoughts like I'm watching them on film, and vice versa." Damon interrupted.

"Now you're just trying to make me feel jealous." Klaus said with a smirk. "And when you went down to the cellar?"

"Elena wanted her to witness the pain she'd caused me over the years, I merely facilitated her desires." Damon said as he laughed aloud.

"So, what? You manipulate emotions and visions?" Caroline asked Damon.

He nodded, "I don't create them, I just transmit them as they were felt by the other person or people."

"Yes well, I wish I could have seen her face when you tossed…." Klaus started as he suddenly saw the flash of the shock she'd felt when the blood bag had landed with a smack against her chest.

"That's really quite brilliant, mate." Klaus said of his trick.

"And you. What's your mojo? Besides playing the vulnerable little lamb, I mean." Klaus asked as he looked at her.

"Do you really want to know?" Elena asked.

"I think I do." Klaus said.

Elena looked to Damon who nodded before she said, "It's a lot more effective if Damon and I work together."

Klaus nodded feeling a little apprehensive at what she was about to do, but decided he'd had a hand at saving both of their lives today and hoped that was enough to earn her mercy. He watched as she clasped Damon's hand before he felt them touch his thoughts.

A moment later, he watched himself from Jenna's point of view, feeling every ounce of her fear as if it had been his own. He felt the witch's blood burn through her as repulsion crawled over her, and then the sadness sunk in as he saw Elena through Jenna's eyes knowing that moment was goodbye just before he watched himself jab a stake right through her heart.

Klaus fell to the floor with a scream wrought with searing pain as Caroline screamed and ran to his side.

"Stop Elena. Stop it!" She shouted.

Klaus opened his eyes breathing heavily from exertion as he looked at the two of them with awe and a heavy dose of trepidation. That little parlor trick was painful and quite effective in subduing an adversary.

"How? How could you know what she was feeling?" Klaus asked.

"At the time I could have guessed, but now...I can feel every memory I have as if it had occurred to me, and I can make anyone who was a part of the pain, joy, or heartbreak feel it, too." Elena said as she eyed him. "I could make you pay for all of it. At once. Or take it out on you in pieces."

In the moment, it wasn't a threat, but he knew it very well could be if she wanted it to and that didn't sit well. He needed to know more about what they were capable of, because he suspected this was merely the tip of the iceberg.

"Can you show me?" Caroline wondered.

Elena decided that perhaps she could show them both something in the moment as she looked to Damon.

"Close your eyes and think about something you feel that you wish the other person knew." She said to both of them.

Elena reached out for Damon's hand again and closed her eyes as she concentrated on Caroline and Klaus.

Oddly, they both showed them the same memory and it was both heartbreaking and arousing. She felt Damon wrap his arms around her and pull her back against his chest as he settled into their memory and shared what he saw.

"I can manipulate physical feelings. Make you feel how that moment pulsed between you. The pain," she said as she let them both feel the sting of Caroline's teeth breaking through the delicate skin at Klaus' wrist.

"The relief." She told them as they both felt it wash over them recalling how desperately they clung to her life.

"The fear." Elena added as Klaus entered the room and looked at Caroline as she suffered from the physical and emotional effects of Tyler's bite. Their fear of losing something they were both too afraid to give voice to.

"And the pleasure." She whispered feeling Damon's arms wrap more tightly around her with a slight moan as he felt it, too.

They both rewound the images to see Klaus' eyes close and his head tilt back as Caroline's lips closed over the wound. The way her tongue slid over the faint pulse point as she drank him in and the moan that rumble from her chest as she clung to the muscled flesh of his forearm. Her touch igniting a spark for both of them and suddenly both Caroline and Klaus' eyes snapped open, gasping as their lips touched with Elena's last words hanging between them, "The love."

Neither of them having felt the near gravitational pull that had surrounded them as Elena had shared the moment with each of them. After they had a moment to recover, they glanced around only to see both Damon and Elena were nowhere to be found.

"I-I-I…" Caroline stuttered as she touched her lips.

Klaus found himself transfixed by the sight of her fingers as they ghosted over the soft flesh, wishing the tether Elena and Damon had spun around them hadn't snapped so quickly.

And with that thought, Klaus bent down as he swept her fingers aside and placed his lips against hers one more time in a slow, sensual kiss.

"Thank you, love." He whispered as he walked towards the door. "Good night Caroline. Sleep well."

As the door closed, she touched her lips again and whispered, "Goodnight."

TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD

At the top of the stairs, Damon smiled down at Elena.

"Well, that was one way to take the focus off of us." He smiled.

"I thought it was quite effective." She smiled as she turned in his arms and kissed him, while she pushed him back into their bedroom.

"Effective is one way to put it, kitten." Damon whispered as he tore her shirt off.

"Mmmhmm." She purred as his lips wrapped around the cord of her neck while her hands pulled his shirt from the waist band of his pants before the fabric finally ripped away from his body.

'God, I love the little sounds that you make." He panted against her skin as he lifted her up and wrapped her legs around his back moving to the bathroom.

Damon set Elena on the counter as he moved to turn on the shower, but when he heard the first tick of her zipper being released he gave her a warning glance and said, "Don't Even. Think. About. It."

She smiled as she let the zipper slip just a fraction further before the air moved around her and she found her hands pressed to the mirror at her back.

"I said, stop. Did I not?" Damon asked in a seductive tone as he narrowed his eyes and gave her his sexiest smirk.

"Actually you said…" She didn't get to finish as Damon crushed his mouth to hers letting his desire flow through her, feeding her with need.

Seconds later, Damon was kissing a path from her lips to her navel on his way to remove the obstacle.

Elena squirmed as he stared up at her with his lips hovering a breath away from the offending zipper. His hands sliding over her sides causing chills to shudder through her and eliciting a throaty moan.

"Damon." She whispered as she watched him through a heavy lidded gaze.

His blue eyes burned as he watched her every reaction, from the rise of her chest to the way her lips swelled beneath her teeth as she bit back another moan.

By the time the cool air against her now bare legs registered, she was very nearly about to come apart, and he still sat on his knees with his lips centimeters from her as his nostrils flared taking in the heady scent of her arousal.

Then all of a sudden, Elena found herself watching through Damon's eyes feeling what he felt in the moment.

His skin felt alive as he reached out and laid his hands against her knees as his fingertips gently worked their way up her thighs to her hips. His eyes were drawn to hers as he watched every gasp, how her head tilted back with the pleasure he delivered with every single touch.

She could feel every muscle in his body pull tight in anticipation and the throbbing, achy need that was relentlessly pounding away as he ignored it and focused his attention on her. His hands ghosted over the lace that hugged her hips before sliding his fingers beneath the fabric and pulling them free as he laid his cheek against the inside of her thigh and breathed in the scent that would forever be his Elena.

"You have no idea how many nights I've laid awake dreaming of having you like this." He whispered as he inched closer to her letting his breath fan over the already sensitive bundle of nerves.

Elena could feel him trying to restrain his desire as he stared up into her eyes and said, "Look at me. I want to see what I do to you. I want you to see it."

Her eyes opened wide just as his tongue escaped from the confines of his mouth and pressed to her clit causing her hips to jump from the counter as if she'd been jolted with electricity and yet the whole time her eyes remained fixed on Damon's as he smiled at her obvious pleasure.

Two could play at that game, she thought to herself.

When Damon wrapped his lips around her clit once more, she let him feel it, too. A whimper of unbridled need fell from his lips as his lower body jolted in search of any kind of friction. A second later, his hand was on his belt as he jerked it open and adjusted himself roughly before refocusing on the task at hand.

"I want you to come for me." He whispered as he sunk two fingers into her and sucked hard on her clit.

"Fuck." She screamed as her hips bucked in response and his fingers curled into her further.

"Oh god!" She whimpered as she felt his fingers tap her g-spot in rapid succession before she assailed him with the sensations that were ripping through her as she screamed out her release. He tried and failed to keep his own orgasm at bay while she gave him hers, but feeling her release as it happened to her proved to be more than he could possibly handle.

"Fuck me." He whispered as he laid his forehead on her hip feeling aftershocks of pleasure ripple between them like he'd never felt before.

"Is that how it always feels for you?" He wondered as he sat there panting trying to catch a breath he really didn't need.

She smiled and whispered, "Only with you."

Damon kissed her hip before he stood and pressed his lips to hers, giving himself over to her as she tasted herself on him.

"Hold that thought." He said as he shut off the now cold water and returned to her kicking his pants off and lifted her into his arms. "Now, where were we?" He asked as he carried her back to his bed and laid her out before him.

"I believe it was my turn." She said as she pushed him to his back.

* * *

It was about time we had a little hot and sweaty vampire hybrid sex...and guess what there might be a little more where this left off next chapter. You are now excused if you'd like to go take a cold shower. ;} EVIL

Love you though…and thanks for the reviews...in advance :)

Xoxo

Livi


	22. Your The Reason I Come Home

**You're The Reason I Come Home**

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries nor do I accept compensation for theis story. It is purely for entertainment purposes, mine and hopefully yours, too :)**

Thank you to all who have read, reviewed, favorited, alerted, PM'd. You are all amazing, obviously! It's been about two weeks and the story is closing in on 30,000 views and close to 200 reviews in a little over 2 weeks, which is CRAZY! Anyway, can't even thank you enough for all of the support!

**I apologize for the following rant and feel free to skip over it. Just go to the 2nd ****,** **but this reviewer has deprived me of a right to respond forcing me to do it here.**

To the guest reviewing Grammar Police, here are some tips…

Understand that you are judging someone in a public forum. If you'd like to be helpful please pm me and we can discuss my crimes against grammar.

1. I post sometimes 2 chapters DAILY, I also work 17 hours a day, 6 days a week most weeks, I barely sleep, I beta 4 other stories and I do this for FUN (and admittedly I am not as careful with editing my own work as you so harshly pointed out. At the end of the day, I realize I make mistakes, I try not to...but I do.

2. I am well educated and literate, which your comments seem to bring into question. I am doing this for fun. If you care to look through some of the other reviews it seems to be fairly well received in spite of my run-on-wrecks and over dramatic, unrealistic journal-ish dialogue. FYI, we're talking about vampires and hybrids I think over dramatic and unrealistic is par for the course.

3. I do appreciate your points, but please don't hide behind a computer anonymously. If I am brave enough to put my work out there for anyone to pick it apart line by line...it would seem like owning your words shouldn't be that much to ask, so sign your name. The only reason not to is fear of being judged so harshly yourself...**is that it?**

At the end of the day, there are millions of stories here...if my writing style is so horrible don't feel obligated to read it.

I really wanted to delete the reviews or moderate them, but I am not into censorship (BTW I know the difference it is called a typo), and I won't take away other people's opportunity to review anonymously if they so choose. But, I have removed the ones that were more of a personal attack.

Sorry for the rant, it's just that I love this story so much and enjoy chatting with many of you and reading many of your stories as well. It is just a bummer to have someone come at you in an unsolicited manner and take something you love turning it into a chore.

**Speaking of Your stories that I'm reading...Thought I'd take a minute and share :)**

Lights, Camera, Taste by Fashionista1988  
Damon and Rebekah: A Love Story by SpiritedGhost  
Shattered by Cybilluv  
The Thing Between Love and Hate by Love-it-away  
Saved By A Salvatore by FauxClarity  
Wake Me Up When The Sune Goes Down by Mystewitch

There are a lot more on my to read list also, I'll try to share those later :)

Now, where were we?

* * *

_Hands in the fallen snow  
Numb to the winter cold but we don't mind 'cause we'll get warm inside  
You're the reason I come home  
You're the reason I come home my love  
You're the reason that when everything I know falls apart_

_You're the reason I come home  
Paper doll silhouettes  
Fingertips on window glass  
The street's asleep so I breathe you in deep_

_The tragedies of chemistry  
People dream of what you and me have found effortlessly_

_The Reason I Come Home by Ron Pope_

**_"I believe it was my turn." She said as she pushed him to his back._**

A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as her lips pressed to his and she climbed over him.

"Mmmm, I believe it is. Do your worst, princess." He said with a smirk.

"Oh, I plan to." She whispered seductively as she laid her lips against his neck.

He closed his eyes as her lips pressed against his sternum on their way to his navel and suddenly he saw her intent, felt it even, all the way down to his toes as he opened his eyes and locked onto hers.

"Oh god, kitten." He said as her lips curved up in a smile before she pressed her lips to the tight wall of muscle at the base of his abs.

As soon as he felt the soft puff of air against the feathering of hair below his navel, his back arced off the bed and his approval rumbled through his chest growing ever louder as the wet heat of her mouth surrounded him completely.

A shiver coursed through his body as her fingernails lightly scored the hard muscles of his thighs before traveling up to his chest wall to electrify all the nerve endings in between. Her own enjoyment vibrated through her like a live current straight from her and back into him.

Throaty moans told him that she loved what she was doing to him, but he couldn't help cutting her off before it ended prematurely. He wanted her more than any blood lust he'd ever felt.

"Lena, please." He pleaded.

She growled as she took him deeper into her mouth and for a moment he was lost in the pleasure. The further he got lost, the more she followed as her own hand traveled down over her breast and followed a path that he so desperately wanted to chase.

A loud and seductive moan tore from his throat as he witnessed her fingers reaching their mark. Her renewed arousal began to permeate the air and the game was over. Gone was Damon playing the submissive boyfriend role, he had officially fallen into his favorite role of dark and seductive as he carefully lifted her off the bed carrying her effortlessly to the chair in the corner of the room.

As her knees hit the cushion, he caught a flash of a fantasy that he took from the deep recesses of her mind and did everything he could to bring it to life.

"Mmmmm, princess it's going to be so much better than your fantasies." He whispered in a tone that belied his growing desire as he stroked his hands gently over her arms before placing her hands against the back of the chair.

His fingers gently traced the curve of her spine as he pressed his lips between her shoulder blades and worked his way down to the flare of her hips. A moment later, he stood and smiled as she turned to gaze at him over her shoulder just before he jerked his hips forwards sliding effortlessly into her.

He stilled as the sensation threatened to topple both of them, peppering wet kisses against her back as he tried to pull as much detail from her fantasy as possible.

Damon used his knees to push her thighs further apart as he started to slowly play her body. His left hand roaming over her skin until his fingers zeroed in on her nipple causing a shuddering moan to fall from her lips. His right hand made a quick path down to find the swollen bundle of nerves that was just begging for his attention as he was now slamming into her. The new angle afforded him the perfect leverage to rub deliciously over her g-spot causing her legs to shake violently as her release started to build.

Damon leaned down and pressed his lips to her ear and whispered, "Come for me, princess."

It was as if a switch had been flipped, and she was screaming his name as she came apart around him. That was all it took for Damon to follow her right over the edge.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Downstairs, there was a light knock on the door. Caroline was in the living room clearing away various glasses from earlier when she heard it thinking it odd that anyone would knock at this late hour.

When she opened the door, she was shocked to find Klaus on the other side.

"I thought you went home."

"Yeah, well that's the thing love. I meant to, but I couldn't stop thinking about earlier." Klaus whispered as he smiled disarmingly at her.

"What about it?" She asked trying to give off a disinterested vibe.

"You protected me. You asked her to stop. Why?" He wondered aloud.

"Because...Because it was hurting you."

"After all the pain I've caused you. All of you, I don't understand how you can still be so kind to me." He shared.

"Klaus, I see something in you. Admittedly, I don't see it very often, but it's there."

Klaus stared at her in disbelief as she spoke. No one had seen a single redeeming quality in him in over a thousand years, and yet this teenager was able to see right through every wall he'd so carefully built around himself. Part of that had him feeling euphoric and another part of him wanted to lash out and push her back a step knowing she had the power to hurt him worse than anyone else he'd encountered in his human life, or this one.

"How do I know that I can trust you?" He asked so quietly she almost missed it even with her vampire hearing.

"Because I'm telling you that you can...and I'm trusting you." She answered honestly.

He looked into her eyes for a moment, but broke away abruptly as he said, "No! I can't."

"Can't what?" Caroline yelled.

"This...Us…." He said as he threw his hands up.

"No...you won't! You're so afraid to be exposed for what you see as a weakness that you won't let yourself believe that I'm right here!" She shouted as she poked him in the chest.

Klaus stared at her fingers as they smacked against the hard wall of his chest causing a smirk to pull at the corner of his lips.

"You're glorious when you're angry, love." He said as the smirk became an open and genuine smile.

"Ugh, god you're such a jerk." She said as she moved to slap him.

He reached up and stopped her hand before it landed against his cheek, but he hadn't anticipated the hand that followed sending him reeling back as he cupped his left cheek and smiled at her audacity.

"If you were anyone else, there would be a stake through your heart. And yet I just can't be angry with you. You challenge me, intrigue me, fight me and sometimes hate me, but….." He said stopping short of saying what was hanging on the tip of his tongue.

"But, What?" She asked softly.

Klaus looked into her eyes before shaking his head and turning for the door.

"I should go." He said as he continued to shake his head.

"But, what?" She screamed as he reached for the handle.

Before her lips closed around the last syllable, Klaus had her pinned to the wall across from the stairs.

"It's taking everything I have not to fall in love with you." He barked as he took her mouth in a bruising kiss.

For what seemed like an eternity Caroline stared into his eyes as he kissed her savagely. Klaus was about to pull away, but then something completely unexpected happened. Caroline closed her eyes on a whimper and threaded her fingers through his hair deepening the kiss.

In that moment, Klaus knew was terrified. For the first time since he'd turned, someone had taken the time to see him as something more than a monster and he craved that more than anything. His existence had been so lonely, but that loneliness would be nothing in comparison to losing Caroline. He knew that now.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Meanwhile, Elijah had been staring at the same glass of bourbon for over an hour as he waited for his brother to return. When he heard a car pull up, he immediately went to the door to address the issues that had been plaguing his mind for hours.

"We need to talk NiKlaus." He said as he swung the door open.

"Actually, I did come here to talk." Stefan said as he stepped passed Elijah into the foyer.

"Can I get you a drink?" Elijah asked as he walked towards the bar.

Stefan followed as he said, "Whatever you're having."

"And what did you want to talk about that couldn't wait until morning?" Elijah wondered aloud.

"I want to talk about Damon and Elena."

"I could have guessed that. What exactly is bothering you?"

"Everything. Aren't you concerned?" Stefan said with irritation.

"Of course, I am. We have no idea how powerful they are or what they're capable of, but that little display with Katherine...I'm guessing was just a side show. I'm afraid there is a lot more to this than even they know." Elijah offered.

"What else can you tell me about Evangeline and Ernesto? Were they the same as Damon and Elena?" Stephan asked.

"Well, no. When Ernesto and Evangeline completed the bond they didn't have the after effects that plagued Elena and Damon. In fact, the transformation for them was simple."

"Simple?"

"She turned. They consummated the relationship. And their powers magnified." He shared. "With Damon and Elena, they were already growing into their powers from the minute she turned. After they...bonded, the powers grew exponentially. They're able to physically and emotionally manipulate people, and each other in ways that the original pair couldn't even have imagined."

"Why are they so different, do you think?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know. Damon has been on our radar for a long time. Somehow he possesses abilities that are similar to an original. He can compel other creatures, manipulate weather and walk among dreams. I've never come across another that could do that outside of my family." Elijah said. "And Elena, well she's a doppelgänger and it would appear in some ways that she is also an empath. Even as a human she was more in tune with the feelings of everyone around her."

"So you think what? That this is some kind of supernatural destiny?" Stefan spat.

"Maybe. In over a thousand years, I've never witnessed anything like it. Now, we find out that she is a new form of hybrid and we have absolutely no idea how that will manifest. All I know is that they are very powerful alone, but together…" He stopped knowing there were no words for what was possible.

"So what now?" Stefan asked.

"We need to test them...and I think I know how we can do that." Elijah said as he held a hand out to lead Stefan into the great room.

* * *

**I'm so sorry it took me so long. I had a rough NYE and I got a little hung up on the Grammar Police...I'm human and a little insecure I suppose. But, I am over it and I am determined to give you the story I had planned out...which by the way is just starting to get ramped up!**

Also I wanted to let you know the next post will have the names of the 5 people who get to choose an outtake for guessing closest to the twist that happened recently. I will also message you privately to make sure no one misses it :)

Love you guys so much...thank you for being so supportive and giving me so many reasons to keep going with this story!

XOXOXO

Livia


	23. Heartbreak Warfare

**Heartbreak Warfare**

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries. No Copyright infringement intended.**

In light of my ridiculously long AN last time, I have one thing to say…

Where were we? :)

XOXO

Livia

* * *

_Lightning strikes  
Inside my chest to keep me up at night  
Dream of ways  
To make you understand my pain_

_Clouds of sulfur in the air  
Bombs are falling everywhere  
It's heartbreak warfare_

_Once you want it to begin,  
No one really ever wins  
In heartbreak warfare_

_Heartbreak Warfare by John Mayer_

As Klaus was walking into the house, Stefan was on his way out to his car.

"Klaus."

"Stefan." Klaus said. "What are you doing here?"

"Had to get out of the house." He said with a shrug hoping it sounded believable.

When Klaus nodded and held the door, Stefan decided he'd been successful and headed home hoping that the boarding house would offer silence and solitude in the early morning hours.

Fortunately for him, the house was silent as he crept in and made his way up to his room.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

"So, brother what were you and Stefan plotting while I was away?" Klaus asked Elijah.

"They were helping me plan a party." Rebekah said as she sauntered down the stairs.

"A party?" Klaus wondered.

"It's New Years Eve, NiKlaus. Just because things have been a little tense lately doesn't mean we shouldn't celebrate the passing of another year." Elijah said.

"Besides, Nik...you could invite Caroline." Rebekah offered knowing that would most likely be enough to sway him.

Klaus thought about it and finally gave a nod of approval.

"Excellent, I'll be sure the invitations get delivered!" Rebekah said as she ran back up the stairs.

"Bekah, I'll handle Caroline's." Klaus yelled up the stairs.

A moment later, an invitation with a blank envelope came flying over the railing in response.

"So tell me Elijah, what does this party have to do with Stefan Salvatore paying you a visit last night?" Klaus asked as he stared a hole through is brother.

"Nothing really. He simply couldn't stand to be in the house with his brother and Elena last night."

"And he came here?"

"Evidently so. It's not like there were a lot of options, as I understand it Caroline was occupied as well NiKlaus." Elijah said ending Klaus' inquiry.

"Well, I have an errand to run." Klaus said as he picked up the invite and walked back out to his car.

After a trip to one of the boutiques in town and a florist, Klaus found himself on the door step of Sheriff Forbes' home. He knocked gently and waited until he saw Caroline appear around the corner.

Klaus couldn't help but notice the smile that she couldn't contain. Not long ago, his appearance on her doorstep got a very different response.

"Good morning, Love." He said as she opened the door.

"Klaus." She said by way of greeting as she smiled shyly. "What's all this?"

Caroline was motioning to the box and the flowers that he currently held.

"We're having a party tonight, and I was hoping that perhaps you would consider ringing in the New Year with me." He said looking downright nervous for the first time in….well, ever.

When she didn't answer, Klaus felt the disappointment settle around him until she smiled and took the flowers from his outstretched hand.

"They're beautiful. Are they for me?"

"Of course, love. You should have something pretty everyday." Klaus said as he took her hand in his and softly pressed his lips against her wrist. "Would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to the celebration?"

Caroline smiled and said, "Yes, Klaus. I would like that."

"Excellent." He replied with a smile and asked, "May I set this down for you?"

Caroline nodded as she held the door open and told him to set the box on the dining room table.

"Open it." Klaus said.

"You didn't have to…" She whispered.

"I wanted to." He redirected.

As she slipped the top off the box, her eyes widened as she saw emerald green silk, off the shoulder ball gown accented with crystal beading cascading down the bodice into a flowing chiffon handkerchief skirt.

"It's beautiful." She whispered as her fingers traced the wispy design created by the beads.

"There's more." He said as he lifted the dress carefully from the box and laid it on the table beside it.

Beneath it lay matching heels with the same beading and a stunning vintage teardrop necklace made up of a single large emerald surrounded by diamonds and a matching pair of earrings.

"Klaus, I can't accept these." She said as she stared at them in wonder.

"They belonged to my mother. You can consider them on loan if you wish." He whispered with a smile. "May I?"

Caroline lifted her hair as Klaus clasped the necklace and placed a gentle kiss at the base of her neck.

"Beautiful." He said as he looked at her.

"They are." She added as she glanced in the mirror at the jewels sparkling in the sunlight.

"She is." He corrected with a smile as he brushed his fingers against her cheek. "I'll pick you up at 6pm?"

All Caroline could manage was a nod as he turned and walked back out to his car leaving her in awe of his affection for her.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Rebekah made sure invitations were delivered to all of the usual suspects before she headed back to Klaus' to make sure all the arrangements had been taken care of regarding the food, drinks, music and decorations. It still amazed her just how useful compulsion was in party planning.

When she arrived at the house, Stefan was back. He and Elijah were in the office having another hushed discussion that she couldn't quite understand, but she was certain they were up to something, and that it was undoubtedly not going to make Klaus happy.

With that thought in mind, she carefully moved closer to the office and listened to the two as they plotted.

"You know that if this impedes Klaus' chances of restoring the Petrova line he will most likely dagger you and stash you at the bottom of an ocean for the rest of eternity, and he'll definitely kill me." Stefan said.

"I'm not going to harm Elena, I just wish to gain some clarity regarding what the hybrid and her mate are capable of." Elijah offered.

"And exactly how are you going to ensure that no harm will come to either of them? It's not like you can control the actions of others."

"No, I can't but if I'm right, then our plan poses no threat to either Elena or Damon."

"Fine, but let me go on record as saying this could be a really bad idea." Stefan added.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Elena and Damon had spent the day with Bonnie and Professor Shane at the boarding house.

"So, what do you know about this bond?" Damon asked.

"I know the bond itself is rare. Considering what little information I could find in the journals I've amassed, I'd be willing to guess you are only the second mated pair." Professor Shane answered.

"Surely there had to be others." Elena said.

"It seems that vampires are selfish creatures. Love rarely factors in to the mix, and if it does the human can't be turned willfully, because taking a life is by definition a selfish act." Shane said.

"Is that why neither Damon or Stefan was sired to Katherine?" Bonnie wondered aloud.

"There are a lot of reasons why neither of you were sired to her. For starters, she was selfish in her desire to turn both of you, but more than that she was not in love with either of you. You didn't die by her hand, but she intended for you to join her as she had knowingly fed her blood to both of you." Shane said to Damon.

"When Katherine was turned, why didn't she become a hybrid?" Elena asked.

"It appears that there were two things missing for her. First and foremost, love. And secondly, there was not another doppelganger whose blood could transition her. It seems unlikely that she will ever have love and that appears to be the primary catalyst." Shane offered in answer.

"What about Elena? Is she really the first hybrid of her kind?" Damon asked.

"Yes, I haven't found any kind of record, apart from Klaus and his hybrids anywhere throughout history." Shane said.

"What does that mean for her?" Bonnie wondered.

"Honestly, I don't know." Shane started, "but, we do know it was possible for the first mated pair to have a child, though it would appear that Evangeline perished before the child was born."

Elena gasped as she saw a flash of a little girl with ice blue eyes and dark flowing curls. Damon's arm came around her shoulder as he placed a kiss to her forehead and whispered, "Anything's possible, princess."

She smiled as she thought about that prospect for a moment before she asked, "How did she die?"

"From what I can tell, starvation. After she slaughtered most of her village, she begged Ernesto to lock her up, until the child was born. He would feed her his own blood to sustain her, but as she got weaker, so did Ernesto. Unfortunately, Evangeline's thirst was far greater than Ernesto could accommodate and she died of starvation. Ernesto died shortly after, and the baby remained entombed within its mother."

"Oh god, that's awful." Elena said.

"Elena, we think maybe it's possible that your humanity could enable you to have a different outcome." Bonnie offered.

"But, I would be bringing a child into this world as a blood source for Klaus and his hybrids." She said as she let go of the idea.

"No, I don't think so. This child would not be human, at least not 100%." Shane said.

"Or you could be bringing a child into the world that is a key to another hybrid race." Bonnie shared.

"Do you really think any of the originals would allow that to happen?" Elena asked.

"I think Klaus might be curious enough to allow it. The others...I'm not so sure." Damon answered.

"What about me?" Elena asked.

"Being a hybrid?" Shane responded.

"Yes. What does it mean?"

"No one knows. Klaus might have more thoughts, but it's clear that the prospect of his hybrid nature being awakened caused immense fear. So, it is possible that you have only just scratched the surface. Apart from that, you are adding to the mix with a mated bond which brings it's own unique power. It's safe to say, you are bound to make the originals a little nervous. Both of you." Shane said.

As if on cue, Klaus entered the living room and said, "It means that you two need to be careful. It seems that our brothers have spent much of last night and this afternoon planning something. If I had to guess they are looking to assess what you two are capable of."

"How do they plan to do that?" Damon asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'm guessing they'll set the plan in motion tonight."

"Fine, then we won't go to the party tonight." Elena said.

"I think you should go. Perhaps a push is what you need to really see what you're capable of." Shane said.

"And what if someone gets hurt or dies because of us?" Elena asked.

"We can put a protection spell on anyone that's human." Shane offered.

"Alright, we'll go then. Klaus can we trust you to have our backs if something happens?" Damon asked tentatively.

"You two are the only links that remain to the Petrova line, I can assure you that I will do whatever is necessary to ensure your safety. Though somehow, I don't think my assistance is required." Klaus answered.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Damon and Elena spent the rest of the afternoon getting ready for the celebration at Klaus'. Elena was lost in thought as Damon came out of the bathroom fresh from his shower.

"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours, princess?"

"Did you see her?" She asked.

"The little girl. Yes, I did. She was perfect." He said as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently.

"Do you really think it's possible?"

"I don't know, but I'd be willing to give it a go." He whispered as he pulled her closer still and waggled his eyebrows at her causing Elena to laugh out loud.

"We need to stay focused." She laughed, "Or we're going to be late and Caroline will kill us."

"Fine, but we'll pick this back up when we get home." Damon said as he kissed her chastely and went about tying his tie.

An hour later, the couple walked through the front doors to Klaus' mansion and spotted Stefan standing near the bar next to Rebekah.

Elena glanced around until she spotted Bonnie and Jeremy standing beside Professor Shane who gave a nod confirming the protection spell was in place.

"Hello, brother." Damon said as he led Elena over to the bar.

"Damon. Elena. I wasn't sure if the two of you would venture out of your room long enough to join us." Stefan said as he glanced between the two of them.

"It's a new year Stefan, how about we move on." Elena offered.

"How am I supposed to move on?" He asked through gritted teeth.

Elena just shook her head as hurt poured off of her and Stefan excused himself.

"It's just going to take time." Damon whispered as he looked into her eyes that were shimmering with unshed tears.

"I know, but I hate that we've hurt him so much."

"He survived Katherine...He'll survive us, too."

A moment later, Caroline and Klaus came into the room and immediately headed in their direction.

"Happy New Year!" Caroline squealed.

"You, too." Damon and Elena both responded.

"So have you seen Stefan, or Elijah?" She asked.

"Stefan was just here, but Elijah hasn't made an appearance yet." Damon said.

"What do you think they are up to?" Caroline wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure, but I have no doubts that we'll find out soon enough." Damon answered.

A few moments later, the sound of silver on crystal rang through the room as Elijah stood at the top of the stairs.

"Thank you everyone for coming out to celebrate the start of a new year with us. It is always a pleasure to spend such an occasion with friends and family! Now, if you could please move to the ballroom we shall start the party off with a dance." Elijah said as he motioned towards the set of double doors that were now being opened into the opulent ballroom.

The room glowed with the flickering light of a thousand candles as a band began to play a waltz.

"May I have this dance?" Damon asked.

Elena nodded and took Damon's hand following him into the ballroom with Klaus and Caroline not far behind.

The evening was filled with champagne, music and dancing as the clock began to count down.

Five, the doors to the ballroom closed.

Four, the music stopped.

Three, the guests sought out their dates.

Two, Damon reached for Elena.

One, all the candles went out and screams erupted throughout the locked room.

* * *

Hi readers, I just wanted to make an apology for the delay on this chapter. I am posting it for Livi as she was involved in a car accident on her way home from work late Wednesday evening. She will likely be in the hospital for several more days, but she is doing well. I am sure she will be begging for her laptop within a day or two so she can get you the next update!

I am not sure if she was finished with this chapter, but it looks like there is another chapter that is half finished so I thought I would go ahead and post this one for her. I know she would not want to keep you waiting.

Erin (Beta and friend)


	24. NYE with the Originals

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries and as usual, there is no copyright infringement intended.**

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to give a brief update on Livi's accident. She is now out of ICU on a regular floor with a grade 3 head trauma, several broken ribs and a collapsed lung. She is doing much better and is expected be released by Wednesday if everything continues to improve. As I mentioned before she had one additional chapter that was almost finished and given what is likely going to be a longer delay, I decided to post it and share this update for those of you who have expressed concern. Livi is very appreciative of your thoughts and prayers, and I am sure she will reach out to you as soon as she is able.

I hope that this will tide you over until she is able to get back to the story. It is a shorter chapter as I believe she was not 100% finished with it, but I read through it and thought it had a good stopping point. Also, the songs at the beginning are not my thing. Livi is great at finding the songs that fit, but I'm not even going to try.

Best,

Erin

* * *

The room was cloaked in darkness, as the screams finally went silent. Damon wrapped his fingers tightly around Elena's as they waited for whatever was going to come their way.

"Damon, what's going on?" Elena asked.

"I don't know, but I'm sure we're about to find out."

Sure enough, not a moment later a steely grip wrapped itself around Elena's neck.

"Do you remember what this feels like?" The voice said as she was lifted off the ground.

Elena squeezed Damon's hand tighter even as the hand around her throat threatened to snap her neck until suddenly the room was bathed in light. Every candle in the room blazed to life as Bonnie worked her magic and Elena stared into the eyes of the hunter.

As soon as he came into focus, Elena looked towards Damon. An instant later the hunter's grip went slack as he fell to his knees.

"You want to see who the real killer is in this room?" Elena spat in his direction.

The hunter remained on his knees crippled by the vision that was just starting to take hold.

The first flash was April, the young innocent victim Connor had used in an attempt to draw out the vampires at her own fathers memorial. Her blood pouring over the carpeted balcony in the church. Blood the hunter had spilled to suit his own purpose. Connor could feel her terror as her blood drained and the fears of never growing up or having a life beyond that day. The worst part wasn't that fear though, it was the pain. The burning in her lungs as she struggled to draw breath, the ache in her chest as her heart raced frantically to push blood to her brain that was beginning to fog due to lack of blood and oxygen. All pain that he had caused.

A moment later, he saw Caroline and Elena as they saved April's life and removed the dark memories that would have plagued her for the rest of her life. Connor whimpered as he was forced to lay witness to his own calloused methods knowing that he was guilty of victimizing the young girl. He felt her relief as he also felt the pain dissipate, but his pain was only just beginning.

The second flash was in the grill as he'd held Matt, April and Jeremy hostage. All three were human, but to him they would have been collateral damage had they died that afternoon. Damon hit him as hard as he could with April's paralyzing fear, and the anger mixed with fear that radiated off of Jeremy and Matt.

Before long, the hunter was transported into the tunnels where a new kind of despair rained over him. This time it was Elena's despair that washed over him as she spoke to him in the present while Damon projected her very real fears for her friends and her brother.

"I may be a monster, but I do not victimize the innocent." Elena growled.

He witnessed the blond boy and Pastor Young's daughter as they ran for safety and a moment later he watched as he and Jeremy entered the tunnels. His own blade pressed to Jeremy's throat as he used him to shield himself from the vampires he knew would be waiting. At that moment, he realized something he hadn't noticed before. As the two vampires before him allowed the emotions and the pain to pour over him like a blistering lava flow, he knew something was different. Jeremy Gilbert had not been afraid of him.

"What the…." Connor said as he glanced between the two vampires trying to figure out if he had missed the clue.

Then he saw it. The young man was twisting a ring around his finger casually as the hunter made his threats, and as he looked into the faces of the two vampires in that tunnel, he noticed for the first time that there was a smile on his sister's face.

"The ring." Connor whispered.

Elena nodded as Connor fell back in agony when he heard the audible pop of the boys neck snapping and felt the jarring pain followed by a numb feeling and before he knew it his back was pressed against the wall and his throat constricted as though it were being crushed.

When he opened his eyes, he was alone with his back to the wall. The vampires still stood a few feet away, and yet he was unable to move from his current position.

"It doesn't feel so good to be the victim does it?" Damon asked as he held a closed fist out in front of him.

"For as inhuman as you believe us to be, you are a far greater beast. You carelessly play with the lives of the innocent in your quest to rid the world of our kind. Who is to rid the world of your kind?" Elena asked.

The hunter closed his eyes in an effort to release the pain those memories carried, but it provided no comfort as he found himself looking into the eyes of the young girl he had been prepared to save in that alley just a few short days ago. Her eyes were filled with trust, in him. She looked on as he killed the vampire that was about to take her life with fear, but also with relief for she would have a future, thanks to him. And yet, he betrayed her trust as he turned on her and ended her young life.

His head suddenly filled with a renewed fear as she realized her savior was also her killer. The searing pain, as his own fangs pierced her flesh and drew hard against the flow of her blood until it flowed through him. Then Elena and Damon shared the worst pains of all. His satisfaction as her blood bathed his throat in her warmth, the joy he felt as her heartbeat began to slow and finally stop, and the pain of her last thought. The mother she left behind who would never know what happened to her little girl.

With that, the hunter crumpled to the floor released from the supernatural hold they had placed him under.

"Please, kill me." He whispered.

"No." Elena whispered as she moved to his side. "You've earned the right to live with your sins a little while longer."

Klaus picked the hunter up and quickly escorted him back to the cellar where he locked him away as Elena and Damon glanced around the room in search of anyone who might be responsible for their uninvited guest. It didn't take long for her gaze to settle on the two parties she already believed were responsible.

Elena stalked towards Elijah and Stefan with Damon close on her heels.

Elijah held his ground because as an original he had nothing to fear, but Stefan took several steps back until his shoulders touched the wall behind him.

Elena looked at him with pity in her eyes as she spoke, "Is it so hard for you to accept my happiness that you would rather see me dead?" She asked softly.

"That's not what we were trying to do." Stefan said.

"Then what? Testing us? Did you want to know what we're capable of?" Damon spat at his brother,

Elijah chose that moment to speak up, "Yes. We had hoped to see just how powerful you are."

A split second later, Elijah fell to the floor as he felt the pain of a thousand victims assaulting his mind and body. Blood dripped from his nose as he bore witness to his own misdeeds over the last thousand years in a matter of seconds and before he even had a chance to digest their suffering, he was drowning in Damon and Stefan's despair as they watched Elena die at the hands of his brother, and the betrayal they felt as he let Klaus live after he'd taken Elena from them. His betrayal burned within him as he was forced to realize what his actions did to everyone that cared for the human.

And then the real power began to surge through them as the anger built. Candles flickered as rage lifted Elijah from the ground, helpless against the pair and for the first time in his entire undead life he was afraid. His body quickly met a hard surface as he was forced to relive every stake, every bullet and every white oak dagger that had ever met his flesh.

His skin immediately turned ashen and dry as his life fled and returned a dozen times as Rebekah and Klaus watched in horror. In mere seconds, he had been forced to relive every life he'd taken and every attempt on his own life at their hands.

"We might not be able to kill you, but that won't stop us from trying if you come at us again!" Elena screamed as she let go of the link they had been using to hold him.

"And you, brother. How would you like for us to serve up this side show?" Damon asked.

"Damon, don't."

"Too late brother, you should have sent the hunter after me." He said as he began to filter through some of Stefan's most painful memories to pick out just the one he wanted.

Tears filled Stefan's eyes as he watched the Ripper bite into Elena's delicate flesh. He was forced to watch his own struggle as he tried to help her escape and the moment when he switched off his humanity and really tried to take her life from her. He felt her terror, but the emotion that really burned was her faith. He knew in that moment that she believed he wouldn't hurt her, and yet he had. Over and over again.

Relief flooded through him for a moment as the vision ceased, but his heart felt as though it would tear from his chest as he laid witness to the next scene.

He found himself at the Gilbert lake house, only this time it was cold outside. The room was filled with candles, it was a scene that he didn't recall. And he realized why as he watched Elena and Damon standing before him.

_"Elena, I need to talk to you before we do this." Damon said as he started a fire stalling just a bit longer as he tried to force himself to spit out his next statement._

_"I can't believe I'm doing this, but...are you sure that you want this? I mean what if there's a chance that you could have a life. Kids. A Family. Do you really want to give all that up for this? For me?"_

_"No." She said as she watched the disappointment bloom._

_"I want to give it up for us. Maybe I could have all of those things, Damon, but my kids wouldn't have brilliant blue eyes, and my husband wouldn't have your sexy smirk...I don't want that life, because it would be a life without you in it." She said as she stood and walked over to his side._

_"I love you Damon, and I don't want a life that you won't be a part of." She said with finality as she slid her fingertips beneath the collar of his shirt._

After those words were uttered, he saw flashes of skin and lips as passion took over the scene and he knew exactly what he was witnessing. It was the moment the bond was forged permanently and his heart shattered into a million pieces. He saw nothing of the act itself, yet still he knew this moment was the moment he had lost it all. And then he saw one final flash, it was of a little girl with shiny brown curls and bright blue eyes and she smiled at him.

"You're forgiven brother because you love her too much. But, come at us again and I will end you."

Elijah still sat on the floor reeling from his experience when Klaus appeared at his side and whispered, "The next time you decide to stage a coup, you best remember not to do it in my house."

Half a second later, Elijah opened his eyes just in time to see a white oak dagger plunge into his heart.

* * *

I hope She won't kill me for posting this, but I am guessing she wouldn't want you waiting and I wanted to give you all an update.

I don't feel right reading Livi's PM's as I know a bunch of you have sent her messages, but I am sure she'll check them as soon as she can.


	25. Holding On and Letting Go

**I do not own Vampire Diaries. No Copyright infringement intended.**

Hi everyone,

Before you get too excited it's still Erin, but I am helping Liv write this next chapter for you. Her condition hasn't improved enough to remove the chest tube, so they have decided to keep her for a few more days, but she has been asking for her computer daily. She is nothing if not persistent.

She wanted me to thank everyone for all of the well wishes. We have been reading all of your messages to her and she's extremely grateful for all of your support!

Since she isn't able to have her computer, we've devised a compromise that will hopefully keep her from going crazy as she is eager to get out of the hospital and get back to you guys and her job. I suspect, she will get back to you guys well before she gets back to work though. The compromise is that she has her ipod, so the music is back, but I have the computer, which is the best that we could offer :)

One reviewer asked how Klaus was returned to his own body early on in the story, while it was never brought up, the assumption is that Bonnie helped him as she did on the show. Though it was never clarified here.

* * *

_It's everything you wanted, it's everything you don't_

_It's one door swinging open and one door swinging closed_

_Some prayers find an answer_

_Some prayers never know_

_We're holding on and letting go_

_Sometimes we're holding angels_

_And we never even know_

_Holding On and Letting Go by Ross Copperman_

Stefan sat on the floor stunned by the visions they had shared. His heart broke as he was forced to witness her resolve in what she had been willing to give up to be with his brother. His heart ached as he knew what had followed that conversation. They had been kind enough to spare him the entirety of that memory, but he saw enough to know what had occurred after she had told Damon what he meant to her. What really got under his skin was the vision of the little girl that he had seen, the one that had been a clone of his older brother as she smiled at him. A child he knew without a doubt would belong to Elena, too. In that moment of recognition, he also remembered something else.

He stared at the couple as they made their way to the door before he said, "did you see her, too?"

"See who?" Damon asked.

"Your little girl." Stefan said.

Damon turned towards Elena and smiled as he whispered, "We saw her, but what makes you think she's ours?"

"I can hear her." Stefan said as he stared at Elena's tiny waist.

Damon and Elena stood stock still as they stared at him, but Klaus was instantly intrigued.

"What do you mean you can hear her?" He wondered aloud.

"I heard a heartbeat. I couldn't place it the first few times I heard it, and then I decided that it was part of Elena being a hybrid. She has a heartbeat now, too. When I saw the little girl just now, I realized that there were two of them. Two heartbeats. You didn't show me your daughter. She did. Didn't she?" Stefan asked.

Damon knelt down in front of Elena and laid his ear to her stomach as she gazed down at him with wonder in her eyes. He listened intently, for several minutes until all of a sudden he heard it, too. It was faint, but it was there as he smiled up at Elena. A moment later, they both saw the flash of a young girl of about six with long brown hair and her daddy's eyes staring at them as though she stood directly in front of them.

Elena's hand flew to her stomach as she gasped and Damon pressed his lips to her belly as a single tear tracked down his cheek.

"It's true." He said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Klaus smiled as Caroline squealed out her excitement. He knew the road ahead wasn't going to be easy for the pair. For starters, the only other pregnancy between a mated pair had ended in death. In addition, an vampire child would undoubtedly bring a considerable amount of attention whether for interest or for gain, and Elena being a hybrid would only make her more appealing. He himself was exceedingly intrigued by what her existence could mean. Though at the moment, he was feeling oddly protective not for his own gain, but to make a certain blonde vampire happy.

Caroline eagerly extracted Elena from Damon's grasp as she hugged her friend and listened carefully to the dual heartbeats that were now clear as day.

"Everyone okay?" Bonnie asked as she came around the corner to see Elijah had been daggered, Stefan was still struggling to regain his composure, Damon was smiling from his spot on the floor and Caroline was clinging to Elena.

The witch glanced around at all of them as she tried to read the situation until Klaus stepped over to her to explain, "Elena's pregnant."

"What? Elena? Damon? How?"

"Evidently, being a hybrid that is mated offers more than just extraordinary strength and tactile vision sharing." Klaus offered.

"Pregnant, really?" Bonnie said with a smile.

"Don't get too excited Sabrina, something tells me this is going to create more work for you and Professor Shady Pants." Damon said from his spot on the floor.

"Really, shady pants?" Bonnie giggled.

"What? Even you have to admit he's shadier than average for a professor hanging with a high schooler."

"And that made Alaric?" Bonnie asked.

"Shady." Damon said with a smirk, "but, he was a good drinking buddy."

"So maybe you two should have a drink?" Bonnie offered.

"Not likely. He'll probably roofie me with vervain."

Bonnie just shook her head and walked over to Elena and Caroline as she joined in on the hug.

Damon walked over to Stefan and held a hand out as he helped him up from the floor.

"I love you little brother, but you'll have to excuse me for not wanting you around my girl at the moment. I can't have you putting her at risk and I doubt you'll be the only one I need to worry about." Damon said.

Stefan shook his head in understanding as he walked out of the ballroom and headed back to the boarding house to pack up his things.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

When he arrived back at the house, he found himself inexplicably drawn to the cellar. As he made it to the bottom of the stairs, he noticed the silence that surrounded him and then he noticed the door to the cell that had previously held Katherine was ajar.

He sprinted to the door and found the cell empty and his head started to spin as he tried to figure out how she'd escaped and where she might have gone. When he didn't find anything, he quickly dialed Damon.

"What is it Stef?"

"You were right. I'm not the one you need to worry about. Katherine's escaped."

"What?!" Damon bellowed.

"She's gone."

"How the hell did she escape?" He asked.

"Someone let her out. There's no damage and she was in no shape to just walk out, not without some help."

After a beat of silence, they both said, "Rebekah."

* * *

I know this is the moment that so many reviewers have been waiting for and Liv has been holding out on you!

Sorry it's a short chapter, but Liv is still pretty heavily medicated and exhaustion seems to catch up to her rather quickly. I promised her that we could work on it a little bit each day, so perhaps we'll get another chapter out in the next day or so if she's feeling up to it. Anyway, I hope that I was able to do her thoughts justice and that you are pleased with the chapter.

~E


	26. Losing Your Memory

**I do not own Vampire Diaries. No copyright infringement intended.**

This is the chapter Liv and I have been working on for the last couple of days. We had hoped to finish it and have it up yesterday, but she simply wasn't feeling up to it in spite of her protests to the contrary. She is still in ICU, but seems to be improving once again and they expect to move her to a regular room tomorrow and home by middle of next week maybe (so right around the 2 week mark maybe). Her memory of the days leading up to and after her accident have not returned as her doctors thought they might initially, however given the photos and video we saw from the accident I firmly believe that is a blessing.

We are all just really happy to have her safe and sound. Though she is probably getting tired of all of us since someone has been at her side from the moment she woke up the first time. Anyway, I appreciate everyone sending their appreciation my way for taking care of her, but I can assure you that is all the medical staff. I am merely around for moral support and to sneak real food in from time to time (of course nothing too exciting). Though her mom is way better at that :)

As far as the chapters that have been posted, I am just taking dictation and posting. Not much to do there. But, I am getting a little insight into what's coming which is a bonus since she wasn't even telling ME up until recently. **Big things to come people!**

Anyway, one thing that I have learned about Liv over the years is that she is a fighter. In a couple weeks time, hopefully this will all be a fading memory. Hence the title here. As I said before music is not my strong suit, so I gave you one for Liv.

* * *

_You're losing your memory_

_ Wake up, it's time, little girl, wake up_  
_ All the best of what we've done is yet to come_  
_ Wake up, it's time, little girl, wake up_  
_ Just remember who I am in the morning_

_ You're losing your memory now_

_Losing Your Memory by Ryan Star_

* * *

Elena watched as Damon pinched his nose and cursed as he held the phone away from his ear. She could hear Stefan doing his own version of the same dance on the other end of the line.

All the guests had finally departed, leaving only the usual suspects milling about in Klaus' ballroom.

She turned to Klaus and said, "Any ideas what Rebekah might be up to?"

"Oh, I have a few ideas. Not the least of which being that she doesn't want you to have access to your supernatural blood bag. So, for your sake, let's hope she didn't stake the bitch." Klaus said as he pointed to her currently flat belly. "There is no telling what it's going to take to keep that child fed."

"Oh god." Elena said as she thought about what they knew of Evangeline and her thirst.

What if she went on a killing rampage to keep their baby fed, too? There weren't that many humans left in Mystic Falls and a lot of them were on vervain which narrowed the pool considerably.

"She wouldn't kill her, would she?" Elena asked the room at large.

"This is Rebekah we're talking about. She's not exactly the poster child for thinking things through." Damon said as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Well, we can assume that whatever Elijah was worried about he shared with her. So, perhaps the best bet is to un-dagger him and see what he has to say." Caroline offered.

"You sure about that?" Klaus asked.

"No, but unless you have a better plan, time is of the essence. We can't let her kill Katherine. It pains me to say that since there have been hundreds of occasions when I would have killed to do just that. If her blood is necessary to ensure our child's survival, then I'll do whatever is necessary to keep her alive." Damon answered.

A moment later, Stefan entered the room looking as though he's sprinted from the boarding house.

"I think Rebekah took her to the caves, that's where Elijah was planning to take you Elena." Stefan said as the whole group turned towards him with anger and shock on their faces.

"Look you can crucify me later, I was just worried about what this bond meant for all of us. I'm sorry, but we need to find Katherine before Rebekah does something that we can't undo." Stefan said as he held his hands up in a show of surrender.

"Fine, but don't think for a second that this is over and done with." Damon spat as he pulled Elena gently to his side and headed for the door to find Katherine.

"What's the plan?" Klaus asked as they got closer to the clearing behind the Lockwood's old estate.

"Not sure. At the moment, my only concern is with getting Katherine safely away from Rebekah. Then you can dagger bad ass Barbie and do whatever you want to her." Damon said.

"Look we can't just go in there without some kind of a plan." Klaus said again garnering looks of shock from Damon and the others given his penchant for shooting first and asking questions later.

Elena turned to Klaus and said, "Klaus, I will go in there and get Katherine and you will help us. Now just follow our lead."

Shock registered with the others as Klaus just went silent and followed without another word.

Damon smirked at Elena, but he couldn't help but wonder what Klaus' retaliation might entail down the road. In his gut, he knew that Klaus had some form of retaliation in mind if he was willing to capitulate so easily. There was no way that their "tactile vision sharing" as Klaus had worded it scared him enough to back down so quickly. Sure it could be painful both physically and emotionally, but certainly he was capable of worse.

As they arrived at the mouth of the caves, Damon moved towards the entrance with Elena close behind. He really would have preferred for her to stay behind, but the down side to being a mated pair was that their power was much more effective when used together. It had some kick alone, but they needed to give her everything they had if they had any hope of getting Katherine out alive.

Of course, there was still the chance that Rebekah and Katherine were working together. They seemed unlikely bedfellows, but it certainly wasn't out of the question.

"Stay here. We'll let you know when you should come down. If we all swoop in she'll panic and kill her for sure." Damon said to Klaus and the others.

"What makes you think she won't kill her when she sees you two?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know for sure, but I suspect she'll go after Elena knowing I won't allow her to be hurt. Or me." Damon said.

Elena smiled and said, "And we're going to let her."

"Wait a minute, what?!" Damon said.

"We're going to let her. She only knows bits and pieces about this bond, none of it first hand." Elena reasoned.

Damon shook his head, but he could feel her resolve radiating off of her, and he knew that Rebekah's ideas about the mated bond were probably more a source of weakness than strength. Provided that she and Katherine didn't have a heart to heart since she'd helped her escape.

"Okay, let's do this before I change my mind, kitten." Damon said as he took her hand.

The pair walked carefully into the caves trying not to alert Rebekah to their descent any earlier than necessary. When they came around the last bend, they saw Katherine tied up in the corner as she continuously staked herself in the stomach undoubtedly for Rebekah's enjoyment.

Rebekah remained hidden in the shadows until they were all the way into the corridor, then she made her presence known as she shot Damon with a vervained stake in the shoulder.

"Not so fast, Elena." She spat as Elena moved to pull the stake from his flesh.

Damon pulled the stake out dropping it to the ground as he looked at Elena and smirked before shooting a glance at Katherine. Elena looked at Damon with concern in her eyes, but she understood.

"Easy there, bitchy Barbie. We didn't come here to pick a fight, we just want Katherine back. We weren't quite done with her yet, but I'd be happy to put you on the wait-list if you'd like." Damon said with just a little too much amusement in his tone.

"Just kill me. One of you." Katherine spoke as she yanked the stake from her stomach again.

She'd lost count how many times the evil bitch had watched her spill her own blood, but she was fairly certain this would seem like an act of mercy over what the wonder twins might have planned for her.

"I'll get to you in a minute." Rebekah spat as she pitched another stake at Damon, this time grazing the side of his neck as he ducked off to the side.

Elena grabbed the stake out of the air as it sailed by and threw it as hard as she could hitting Rebekah in the wrist as she made a move for Katherine.

Rebekah's anger rose to a blistering level at that and she sped over to Damon's side with her fingers digging into his skin poised above his heart.

"Elena, the way I understand it, if he dies you will follow. Shall we see if your bond allows him to survive removing his heart from his chest? If you want to live, you will back away from the she-bitch."

Elena gasped as she turned and watched the blood drip under her fingernails in rivulets down his chest. She could feel the searing pain stabbing into her own skin almost as though it were happening to her instead.

"Rebekah, stop!" She bellowed as she clutched her chest.

"Or what? You'll poke around in my mind and pull out some painful memory? That only works on someone who has tried to escape the horrible things they've done. I feel EVERYTHING." Rebekah spat as tears clung to her lashes.

"I promise you, that if you hurt him I will make sure you feel worse." Elena said calmly.

Rebekah's fingers sank another quarter inch into his flesh and Elena could see the sweat forming on Damon's brow as he struggled to keep the pain away from Elena. Rebekah had figured out how to combat their connection by forcing him to shut Elena out.

"Damon, don't. I can handle it." She said softly, but he simply shook his head as he set his jaw against the scream that was threatening to escape.

"Seems that you are only as strong as a pair, perhaps that's why when one dies the other dies, too. I am perfectly happy to see that happen." Rebekah said.

"Why? What is it about us that makes you want to end our lives?" Elena wondered aloud.

"You're just like him. NiKlaus spent centuries looking for a way to break the curse and then to create his new hybrid family. All I ever did was stand by his side, and he replaced me with a bunch of blood sucking dogs. And now, he's so stuck on renewing the Petrova bloodline, that he doesn't even see the danger that you both pose."

"Rebekah, the Petrova bloodline is gone. We can't access it without a human Doppelganger, and as you can see Elena is no longer human." Klaus spoke as he crept out of the shadows.

"No. I don't believe you. Elijah told me there was another way. He said you would have you're bloodline." Rebekah said as her fingertips now grazed over the muscle of Damon's heart.

The second his eyes started to close, Elena was in motion. Damon's life and the life of their child were the only things that even entered her mind as she latched onto Rebekah's throat with deadly accuracy. She knew that if he died, they would all be lost so there was really nothing else to think about.

Rebekah recoiled and dropped Damon as Elena took her flying back against the wall without letting go of her neck. She drew hard against the flow of blood as a white hot rage burned in her gut until she felt Damon's pain start to diminish.

After a moment, she felt more than heard Damon pick himself up off the ground and move towards Katherine as he took the stake from her and passed her off to Klaus.

"Get her out of here." Damon yelled, but Klaus was riveted by the sight before him.

Stefan and Caroline quickly rushed to Katherine's side as they had been lingering nearby, but neither of them were quick to tear themselves away from the scene before them.

Elena had Rebekah pinned to the wall and was quickly draining her of blood. A feat that she should not be able to accomplish without Rebekah being seriously incapacitated and yet they'd watched Elena take her down with little effort.

"Elena, stop. You're killing her." Damon yelled as he touched her cheek.

Elena looked up with her red eyes and lacy black vessels covering her skin as she spoke softly, "I won't kill her, but I damn well intend to scare her out of attempting to use the people I love in her plans ever again!"

Before she let Rebekah go, Elena leaned in close and whispered, "You would do well to forget this ever happened, because if you ever go after someone I love again I will find a way to kill you and make it stick."

With that, she let go of the blonde and turned back towards the tunnel they'd come from only to find Caroline, Stefan, Klaus and Katherine looking on with various forms of fear, shock and pride on their faces.

Klaus carefully brushed passed Elena to get to his sister who was just starting to come around as he fed her his blood.

"Elena." Klaus said quietly.

"Yes." She responded.

"Thank you for not killing her." He told her.

"I'm not a monster Klaus, but if it happens again, I promise that we'll find out if this bond makes it possible to kill an original. I'm betting the tie of a doppelgänger's blood might just be the final nail in her coffin. And, unlike your dagger, I might just be able to keep her there." Elena said.

As they all made their way out of the tunnels, Bonnie, Matt and Jeremy stood looking relieved to see Damon and Elena walk out with Stefan and Caroline leading Katherine behind them.

"What happened?" Jeremy asked as he looked at the blood that was still oozing rapidly from Damon's chest.

"Rebekah decided to divide and conquer." Stefan said as he put a hand on Damon's shoulder and asked if he was okay.

"Don't you ever shield me again." Elena said as she opened her wrist and held it out for him.

Damon closed his eyes as her blood bathed his throat and warmed his body. He could instantly feel his flesh begin to close and heal as he also felt her fear, her rage and finally her satisfaction as Rebekah's fear poured over her. After a minute, he finally swiped his tongue over her fresh wound, allowing it to close as he stared into her eyes.

"Lena, that was some kind of crazy. She could have killed you." He whispered against her ear.

"I didn't care. I was certain she would have killed you, and I couldn't let that happen. Besides, I had my blue eyed devil on one shoulder and the little blue eyed angel on the other telling me it would be okay." She said as she touched his cheek and rubbed his hand over her belly.

"Let me guess the devil said to kill the bitch." Damon smirked.

Elena smiled as she rubbed her thumb across his cheekbone before glancing over to the entrance to the caves as Klaus and Rebekah came out.

"What is the Scooby gang doing here?" Rebekah asked as she looked at Klaus.

Klaus glanced at Elena for a moment, but then turned back to Rebekah and said, "Nevermind, let's get you home."

With that they were gone, and the rest of the group dispersed as well. Caroline and Stefan returned to the boarding house with Bonnie, Matt and Jeremy as they settled into the living room with several glasses of bourbon.

Elena and Damon made their way upstairs where they compelled Katherine to remain in the guest room so she could clean herself up and rest. Elena even left her a few blood bags to help her recover from her ordeal. She figured if she was possibly the key to her daughter's survival it was the least she could do for her.

With that taken care of, she made her way back to their bedroom where she found Damon laying on the bed still covered in blood. She quietly made her way into the bathroom and turned on the bath before she returned to his side and carefully removed the tattered remains of his shirt.

Once that was out of the way, she quickly removed his remaining clothing and helped him ease into the hot soapy water. She carefully wiped away the blood and dirt that marred his perfect skin as he leaned his head back against the side of the tub.

"Damon." She said.

"Mmm hmm."

"Do you think I could have killed her?" She asked.

"I don't know, but I think Rebekah will have some doubts after today. I'm sure that will make her think twice before she tries to use someone you care for as leverage."

"I hope so." She said as she lazily twirled her fingers in the water while he soaked.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Almost an hour later, Elena and Damon joined the rest of the group downstairs.

"Does it concern anyone else that Rebekah seemed to have no idea what we were doing there when she came out of the caves?" Jeremy asked now that he had the full story from Stefan and Caroline.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked.

"Well, she did come out and ask what the Scooby gang was doing there." Bonnie said.

"She probably meant all of you. I don't think she saw anyone but Damon and I until afterwards."

The subject died quickly as the group asked about what happened between the two of them and how Damon had shielded his pain from Elena. They had just begun to explain as Klaus stormed into the room looking ready to spit fire.

"You compelled her!" He growled at Elena.

* * *

**Sorry for the little cliffie. At least we didn't leave you with Rebekah's fingers wrapped around Damon's heart ;)**

I will probably be a few days until another update is ready, but we'll see. Liv isn't very good at taking no for an answer, so when she starts talking about the story, I start writing things down.

Thanks for all the love you send her way. We read the messages to her daily and she appreciates every one of them.

~E


	27. Legend

**_I Do Not Own The Vampire Diaries. Please know that Liv asked that I post this chapter late last night (Friday 1/25/13). It is a collaboration and a bit on the short side, but I hope that you enjoy it. More at the end of the chapter._**

* * *

_You Compelled her!" Klaus growled at Elena._

The entire room glanced around in shock until all eyes finally landed on Elena, who looked about as shocked as anyone.

"I wasn't trying to." Elena said matter of factly.

"But, you did it!" Klaus spat as he wrapped his fingers around her throat.

"I guess I did somehow, but unless you want to find out if I can compel you as well, I'd suggest you tone it down just a bit. I meant no harm, I only wanted to protect Damon."

"Klaus, don't you think if she'd intended to compel her she could have done something much worse than wiping her memory of the events and barring her from harming her friends?" Damon reasoned as he inched closer to Klaus, ready to strike if needed.

"And don't you think if she wanted to harm you in any way, you'd be flailing on the ground right this second as the wonder twins pulled your brain like taffy?" Caroline questioned as she pointed between Damon and Elena.

With Caroline's plea, Klaus unwound his fingers from Elena's neck and watched as Damon carefully moved to her side. A predatory growl rumbled through Damon's chest as he brushed up against the original in his haste to get to Elena, and Klaus was powerless to stop the flinch that followed. Odd, that in something close to a thousand years he hadn't felt that particular instinct once, until now.

Caroline reached out to Klaus as he stepped away from the pair and whispered, "You might want to remember that you are no longer the most powerful creature in Mystic Falls. In spite of all of your misdeeds, I don't think they mean to harm you, but I don't think it's a great idea to provoke them."

"Beautiful Caroline, always the voice of reason. I do apologize. I, like you, have only the interests of family in mind." Klaus said looking rather humbled for the moment.

"Understood." Damon grumbled as he continued to ease Elena back away from the group as he watched Klaus carefully for any indication of a threat.

Klaus felt uneasy as he watched the pair as well, wondering if there might be a blinding headache in his near future, but after a few moments he breathed a little easier as Damon's focus shifted to back to Elena when she spoke.

"Why do you think Rebekah took Katherine?"

"If I had to guess she's grasping at any source of information. Bekah was around for the first take on a mated pair and let's just say she lost people that she cared for in the carnage." Klaus offered.

"It always did boil down to love with her." Stefan said.

"You would know." Klaus reminded him.

"I might have, if someone didn't erase a decade or two from my memory." Stefan said as he glared at the original.

"I could give it back, but I was doing you a favor mate." Klaus said with a smirk.

"I'll take your word for it, I prefer not to have my women with a super sized side of crazy. No offense. Mate." Stefan returned with a smirk of his own.

Caroline put a hand on Klaus' bicep as he made a move towards Stefan, but he took a deep breath instead as he settled back next to her on the couch. Though the tension arced through the air between them regardless.

"Enough!" Elena shouted. "I need to know what she was planning. She had to have some kind of plan."

"Her end game is to find out how I intend to restore the Petrova line." Klaus said quietly. "She doesn't want me to make more hybrids."

"Well, that's simple. Why can't you just be happy with the family you have?" Damon asked. "Seems that's all she really wants."

"Easier said than done." Klaus shared. "We've spent the better part of a thousand years stabbing each other in the back, literally. So, she's probably not going to take my word for it. And as much as I'd like to believe we could all have one goal, each of us has our own agenda. Mine is just the most transparent."

"So she doesn't want you to create a replacement family?" Elena asked.

"I suppose not." Klaus said.

"And is there a way for you to restore the Petrova line?" Damon wondered aloud.

"Yes, I think there might be." Klaus answered in a voice only audible to another supernatural creature.

"You think?" Damon asked.

"According to the witches a thousand years ago, children of a mated pair are born human. Legend says they may choose whether to carry on the supernatural abilities of the parents at eighteen, but since the first mated pair perished before birth it is only speculation."

"And is there any reason that our child might be appealing to your siblings?" Damon asked.

"There is no telling what's possible. The legend behind the first mated pair was based on two vampires, the doppelgänger magic can only heighten the intrigue." Klaus speculated. "Perhaps Bonnie might be able to get some answers if she can channel her ancestors?"

"I can try, but I'm guessing the rules are being written as we go. Somehow, I doubt the witch who created the doppelgänger magic ever considered a vampire and a doppelgänger might one day form a mated pair." Bonnie said, "but, I'll sit down with Shane and see what we can find out."

Elena stared off as she thought about something Klaus had mentioned earlier when a thought popped into her head causing her to gasp aloud.

"What if someone were to harm her?" Elena asked hesitantly.

"Before she turned eighteen?" Klaus asked.

Elena nodded.

"These children are mortal. If death occurred before the eighteenth birthday, it would likely be irreversible." Klaus said softly.

Elena stood up and bolted upstairs with Damon hot on her heels. It was more than either of them was prepared to deal with. Damon on the one hand thought about how hard it had been to keep Elena safe and human for just a few years, while Elena thought about all of the possible threats that would be lurking during a mortal, or immortal lifetime.

"Oh god, Damon! How will we ever keep her safe?" She asked.

"I don't know princess, but I will always find a way, even if it akes my last breath." Damon said.

"Mine, too." Stefan said from the doorway.

"Me, too." Caroline said.

"And me. I'll start looking for more information on the first mated pair and whatever speculation is out there from my family in terms of what the legends say. I'll give Shane a call, too. Who knows, maybe he has run across something over the years." Bonnie offered.

"As long as I am around, I will protect my family. If that means that I become a vampire, too. Then so be it." Jeremy said.

Elena crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her brother as she said, "I could never ask you to do that for me."

"You don't have to ask. We've lost enough family, if this is how I can protect our family then sign me up." He whispered as he nodded to Damon as well.

With that, the rest of the group made their way back downstairs leaving only Damon, Elena and Stefan who walked into the room and set several blood bags at the foot of the bed.

"You're going to need to keep feeding regularly if you want to stay in control. The second you let the hunger get ahead of you, the blood lust will take control." Stefan said as he nodded towards the bags.

Elena reached a hand out and touched his cheek as she smiled at him knowing that he knew a thing or two about how the hunger could control you, if you let it.

"Thank you." She whispered as she watched him walk out of the room closing the door behind him.

* * *

This song is fitting as I ask that if any of you have a prayer to spare you think of Livi. I have been trying to give you updates as regularly as possible, however the last ten days have been exceedingly difficult as she has suffered a number of setbacks. As of this morning** (1/26/13),** things were looking much better as they planned to repair the fractures to her left arm and shoulder on Monday and remove the chest tube (again) this afternoon.

Unfortunately, it would seem there was another plan at work as late this afternoon, she lapsed into a coma despite having a somewhat more lively conversation this morning with friends and family.

I know that she loves you guys, and that you were always first and foremost on her mind in the last few weeks, and I have become quite attached to you all as well. A number of you have been in constant contact and it has been a great comfort to me (Murray, JC and Ang) as I freaked out or vented about hospitals and people and ultimately my fears.

I will do my best to update you as soon as I can, we are currently waiting for more information from her doctors, so as it is available I will post it to her profile page or as an update. In the meantime, this is a song that Liv dedicated to a close friend that we lost late last year. Here is hoping that perhaps Kaden is looking out for her now...Kade if you see her, please don't keep her.

It really is a beautiful song (Infinity Street by Richard Walters) if you've never heard it, and most of you know Liv loves her music. Give it a listen on itunes or youtube.

_**I've collected up blue stars**_

_**I have ripped them from his belt**_

_**Up in the clear sky**_

_**Out in the black night**_

_**I've wrapped them up in leaves**_

_**That I've gathered from our street**_

_**Here on a half hill**_

_**In light of the windmill**_

_**I'll always burn a light for you**_

_**Of the constant kind**_

_**(Of the constant kind)**_

_**I always burn a light for you**_

_**I have asked the sun to sink**_

_**All the birds to cease their singing**_

_**To close up this long day**_

_**Draw blinds on it's mistakes**_

_**I have ordered all the words**_

_**To surround you and speak in turn**_

_**The best that they dare state**_

_**The things that I can't say**_

_**I'll always burn a light for you**_

_**Of the constant kind**_

_**(Of the constant kind)**_

_**I'll always burn this light for you**_

_**Oh the city homes are all alight**_

_**And the sky has filled itself with night**_

_**I will steal these things away**_

_**For us both**_

_**Infinity Street by Richard Walters**_

I really don't want to preach, but I have to make one comment...Please designate a driver if you are out drinking this weekend or any other time. Liv would be at home laughing and playing her music too loud with friends tonight were it not for one man's decision to drive home after a few too many drinks. He walked away without a scratch, but he has dramatically altered so many lives with one careless risk.


	28. One Month UPDATE!

***I've just added to this update at the end***

It's been one month since the accident, so it seems like a good time to give you an update and I have some new information to report!

**As of earlier this morning, Liv is not only awake but also cognizant and talking (not much but talking nonetheless),** though she is really unhappy that she still has a long orthopedic surgery (or two) to get through. Evidently, she had been hoping she missed out on that experience while she was "sleeping". She does have some fairly extensive short term memory gaps, and a slight bit of paralysis on her left side which the doctors think may reverse as she progresses. She also has vision loss in her left eye, which had been getting progressively worse since the accident. We are unsure if that is permanent at this time.

As it turns out, last night was the first time they allowed someone other than family to stay with her through the night and it would appear that our friend Evan was either extremely persuasive or so irritating that she had no choice but to wake up. So far, she's not telling. Knowing Evan, I'd say it was a bit of both. Regardless of what brought it about, we are extremely happy to see and talk to her.

We don't know when they will opt to do the next orthopedic surgery, but Liv has mentioned her pain levels a number of times since she woke up, so I am guessing they will attempt to do that as soon as possible to try and alleviate some of her pain. Her latest brain scans have shown improvement, and her vitals have been climbing over the last few days.

She asked me to tell all of you that she's doing better and wanted me to say hello to Jess. Evidently, she remembered me reading her story **Lights, Camera, Taste** while she was out of it which is one of her fav stories. So Jess (Fashinista1988) you also get some credit for Miss Liv waking up I think! Evidently, much to his horror even Evan ended up reading it to her, which I would have paid to see!

Anyway, she's doing well. They took her chest tube out yesterday as well as the vent and she is a bit more alert than she's been in the last few weeks, though her pain levels are quite high at the moment. They are trying not to give her heavy doses of morphine currently, so they are contemplating nerve blocks so that she remains a little more alert. Anyway, for now that is all I have to report, but it's a lot better than what we ever could have hoped for given all of the possible outcomes.

An update on the driver...He has been released on bond however, he is going to be prosecuted for Aggravated DUI and it has been upgraded to a class 1 felony because of Liv's extensive and life threatening injuries, the fact that the driver was on a suspended license and had two prior DUI convictions in other states. If convicted, he will likely lose his license permanently and face up to 15 years in prison along with $25,000 in fines on top of court fees. He (and/or his insurance co.) will also be responsible for all of Liv's medical expenses which will undoubtedly be quite significant. None of this seems like enough, but hopefully it will stop him from doing this to someone else.

Hope that you are all doing well and thank you again for all the messages, comments, reviews, reads and everything. It means so much to all of us!

Erin

* * *

***They have opted to do a nerve block and they are going to go ahead with the surgery to repair her arm tomorrow morning if she remains stable and conscious as that will help to alleviate some of her pain and get her moving in the right direction. The doctors feel that she will not be out of the woods until they can get a handle on her arm and get her moving a bit to reduce the risks of infection/pneumonia, etc. They also believe that giving her back even that little bit of normalcy will help her in adapting to some of the changes she is going to have to deal with.


	29. Imagine Outtake

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, I only wish I had been that creative...so I have to settle for playing with the world that LJ Smith, Julie Plec, Kevin Williamson, and the CW created.**

My first new chapter, hope it doesn't suck :) Left you all a note at the end!

My favorite song of all time. This is a short "outtake" chapter because I didn't want to muddle it with too many different perspectives and it takes next to nothing for me to want to sleep for 20 hours. To put it in perspective, it took me a week to write this...so updates will be slow for a while (sorry).

Xoxo

Liv

* * *

_Imagine_

_Imagine there's no heaven_  
_It's easy if you try_  
_No hell below us_  
_Above us only sky_

_Imagine all the people living for today_

_Imagine there's no countries_  
_It isn't hard to do_  
_Nothing to kill or die for_  
_And no religion too_

_Imagine all the people living life in peace_

_You, you may say_  
_I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one_  
_I hope some day you'll join us_  
_And the world will be as one_

_Imagine by John Lennon_

Stefan found it difficult to sleep after they had learned that the child Elena and Damon would have was going to be human. How many more ways could they have to suffer than to know that there would be an unlimited number of adversaries who would kill to get their hands on a child with her lineage.

Every supernatural creature on the planet would want to find out what she might be capable of as a human. Not to mention, if they were lucky and strong enough to keep her safe for eighteen years and she decided to transition, and that's a big if...but, there was no doubt the possibilities would pique the interest of anyone who might have reason to fear her.

The question was, would they even let her live long enough or would they simply set out to consume her before those powers become a factor. Surely, her blood would be enticing as well. Would she also be a doppelgänger? Would she have vampire traits even as a human? The questions seemed limitless.

Before he had a chance to contemplate all the threats further, Stefan heard what sounded like a child laughing.

"Hello?" He asked as he stood and walked towards the door.

The house had long since gone quiet as Damon and Elena retreated to their room and the others left, apart from Klaus and Caroline. Stefan could hear him rifling through books in the library and Caroline who was mumbling in her sleep from one of the couches.

Could they hear the laughter? It didn't seem like it, as Caroline continued to sleep soundly and Klaus made no move to separate himself from the pages of whatever centuries old text he was perusing.

"Hello?" Stefan called out again as he heard tiny footsteps patter down the hallway into the guest room beside Damon's.

Stefan opened the door expecting dust and cobwebs, but was shocked to find pink walls and plush carpet with two twin beds and a giant replica of the boarding house sitting in the center of the room with a giant pink bow. He inched forward as she laughter turned into squeals of delight.

A moment later Stefan was hit with a sweet aroma that called to the vampire in him. He was in a child's room and his eyes were turning black as shame cascaded over him.

"It's okay Uncle Stefan. You won't hurt us." Called the child from the other side of the boarding house replica. A doll house he assumed.

As soon as the voice stopped, he felt a pair of tiny arms wrap tightly around his legs and forced himself to sideline the beast and look down at the child. What he saw, nearly stopped his barely beating heart.

Before him stood not one, but two tiny replicas of Elena Gilbert. Knee high versions of cascading chocolate curls and olive skin tone, but as they looked up at him he saw their father's icy blue eyes and even worse the devilish smirk that would undoubtedly get them into and out of lots trouble.

"Damon?" Stefan called as he was surely poking around in his head.

"No silly! We can dreamwalk, too." One of the girls said as the other nodded her head and giggled again.

"But, how? You're not even born yet." Stefan asked not really expecting an answer.

"We're alive though."

"I suppose you are." Stefan smiled, "So, how about you introduce yourselves."

"I'm Elena, like my mommy, but you're going to call me Ellie." The more outgoing of the two piped up.

"And I'm Lila. My name is Delilah, but no one calls me that unless I'm up to no good." The quiet one said with her daddy's trademarked smirk that told him that she was up to no good quite often.

"It's always the quiet ones." Stefan muttered under his breath so as not to alert the two girls, but they giggled anyway as they moved back around to the other side of the doll house.

Stefan closed his eyes and smiled, when he opened them he found himself cocooned in his bed. He got out of bed a moment later and ran through the house to the guest room and found the cobwebs and dust he'd expected earlier, but a smile curved over his lips as he remembered the scene that had played out before him.

He had no idea if it was simply a dream or if it was possible that he would be welcoming two little nieces sometime in the very near future, but either way it was the happiest dream he'd had in ages.

Stefan found that sleep came easier when he returned to his room, this time there were no children waiting to greet him, just peaceful, dreamless sleep but it was welcomed all the same.

The sun warmed his skin several hours later and he woke with a smile on his face as he quietly made his way to the guest room and began pulling tarps from the long abandoned furnishings and taking an inventory of what he recalled from his dream.

"What are you up to so early?" Damon asked as he leaned against the doorway.

"Don't you think this would make a perfect nursery?" Stefan asked as he started to clear out the centuries worth of dust bunnies and boxes.

Damon nodded and asked, "Any particular reason you picked today to start working on this? We have seven or eight months to get it together...and vamp speed."

"You're going to think I'm crazy, but I think your daughters are dreamwalkers, too."

Damon laughed, just as Elena came around the corner. His smile growing as realization crept over him.

"Daughters?" Elena asked in confusion.

Stefan uncovered a chair and motioned for the two to sit down as he pulled up a box and took a seat before he enlightened them.

* * *

Hi everyone,

First off...I wanted to thank you all for the kind words and messages. I am absolutely overwhelmed with your kindness. And thank you so much for chatting with Erin, as most of you have probably gathered, she's pretty amazing. I don't know how any of us would have managed without her. She was there to keep my mom strong, my dad from driving hospital staff crazy, me from giving up, and keeping everyone who couldn't visit in the loop (including you guys).

I'm doing much better. I don't have a lot of energy yet, and I'm still going to have at least one or two more surgeries and a TON of therapy before all is said and done...but I'm alive.

My memory is spotty at best from about Christmas on (part of why I did an outtake chapter as I am going to have to re-read to remember what has happened in the story so far :P. I also have a lovely case of vertigo, which I always kind of wrote off, but as it turns out when you get your head knocked around like I did, not all that uncommon. So, I have all the symptoms of a really nasty hangover, without the good time that typically precedes said symptoms and it's lasted for almost a week so far. Awesome.

Anyway, I probably won't update all that frequently for the time being, at least until I am home again and get through the first week of therapy, etc. Because I tire out like a two year old, and I currently have more bad days than good, but I'll take them however I can get them as I'm told I was pretty lucky.

I am forgetting a lot of stupid things like who visited me today, or an everyday word that just escapes me even though it's on the tip of my tongue, but it's pretty inconsistent, so hopefully it won't be a lasting thing. Here's hoping I won't have to relive a really uncool version of 50 first dates, thanks to my friend Evan for sharing that movie last night :) The irony was not lost on anyone.

Anyway, if you sent me PM's, I will respond at some point I promise...and for those who reviewed...I may never catch up. But, I LOVE YOU GUYS! Thank you so much! Please know that I will read each and every one and they are appreciated!

Evidently, while I was "sleeping" the story got 30,000 new views and over 100 new reviews, thanks to Erin for helping to keep it going with a couple of chapters and lots of updates, I hear. She's the best friend a girl could ever be lucky enough to have, really.

Love to all of you. Glad I am getting the chance to say thanks, there are no words for how lucky I feel to be able to do so. I'm going to try really hard not to take anything for granted, because I think I'm on my third or fourth chance right about now. Evidently, nine lives aren't just for cats :)

Xoxo

Livi


	30. What A Wonderful World

Please check out _**Soldier by FineFreshFierce585**_ I just got hooked on it over the last few days thanks to Erin reading some new fics that she was kind enough to share.

I just had my third surgery in 6 days to rebuild my cheek/eye socket after 2 surgeries on my arm/shoulder so it's been a rough two weeks...kind of wish they'd done that while I was "sleeping". Anyway, thank god for dragon dictation and friends who are willing to read to me and feed the addiction to all the amazing writers on FF :) Feel free to rec stories to me, I have nothing but time for a few weeks as I'm not going anywhere yet.

This is still not really a full chapter, but it does move the plot along a little. I don't want to do anything too serious until I can re-read the chapters from the last 6 weeks, because I am having a hard time remembering what I've covered and where I was headed...but I know I just need to re-read and check my notes :) and then I'll get back into the action of the story I promise.

Been listening to a ton of music, too (nothing new), but a whole new appreciation when you can't see since they won't let me wear my contacts and I can't wear glasses because of swelling.

Sorry for yet another long winded AN, I promise I'll try to tighten them up when I get to the real chapters again. Life is moving in slow-mo for me currently so I think I am passing off my lack of control to you...sorry and hope you can forgive me. I promise the next chapter I post will be back to the normal tone and not so fluffy ;}

So I chose another old favorite for this chapter, love this song so much!

XOXO Liv

* * *

_I see trees of green... red roses too  
I see em bloom... for me and for you  
And I think to myself... what a wonderful world. _

_I see skies of blue... clouds of white  
Bright blessed days...dark sacred nights  
And I think to myself ...what a wonderful world. _

_The colors of a rainbow...so pretty ..in the sky  
Are also on the faces...of people ..going by  
I see friends shaking hands...sayin.. how do you do  
They're really sayin...i love you. _

_What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong_

Elena and Damon had been stunned when Stefan shared the vivid details of his dream with the pair of them. He'd been so noisy as he'd begun clearing out the room beside theirs, that they'd had no choice but to investigate the disturbance.

As Stefan continued to shuffle boxes around, Damon took Elena's hand and led her back into their room. He took a seat in the overstuffed lounger near the window, and carefully arranged Elena's body against his chest as they stared at the tiny dust motes gliding through the sunlight that poured through the window.

The silence was comfortable as they both pictured two little girls wearing a perfect combination of their features. Elena was sure they would have Damon's eyes, and he hoped that they had her delicate features and her stunning smile. Of course, he also knew if they did he would be in serious trouble, but at least if he had to kill their first few boyfriends to make a point he was already well versed at hiding bodies.

Damon finally decided to break the silence after about twenty minutes had passed.

"Lena?"

"Mmmhmm." She hummed as she lay sleepily against his chest.

"I never thought I would be able to give you what you truly wanted. I always thought that in order for you to be with me, you'd have to give up all of the human rites of passage." He whispered as he paused and brushed her hair back from her face.

"Damon, you should know by now that I have no regrets." She responded as she pushed off his chest to look into his eyes hoping to convey her point.

"I do, but I realized just now that you don't have to give it all up. We're having a baby, two babies." He smiled.

She smiled back clearly not understanding where this is leading.

"All the things I wanted for you, I can give them to you now, and I want to."

She stared at him as she waited for him to explain still unsure of his reasoning.

"I wanted you to get married, have kids, grandchildren. Everything you wanted, I would have done anything to give that human experience to you, but selfishly I am looking forward to an eternity with you as well. Anyway, I'm getting off topic because what I'm really trying to say here is…." Damon trailed off before he lifted her from his lap and set her back on the lounge then sped off into his closet.

She heard him rifling around for a moment until he returned holding a small porcelain box that looked like it was at least as old as he was. Damon smiled as Elena tilted her head to the side carefully studying him and the box.

As she looked on, Damon carefully set the box on the side table and brushed her hair off her shoulder so he could brush his fingers across her perfect skin. He gently moved to sit in front of her so he could watch her expression and stole a gentle kiss before he steeled his nerves.

"I've never been so lost for the right words to say in my life, but you do that to me. My tongue is so twisted and my heart feels like it's going to explode out of my chest, even though it barely needs to beat to keep my blood flowing."

Her fingers closed over his as she smiled at him and whispered, "I'm glad I can still fluster you Damon."

He laughed, but immediately his eyes became serious again.

"There is only one thing I haven't given you now, something that I hope you want." Damon said as he took her hands in his and carefully set the box in her grasp resting a hand over hers to keep her from lifting the lid.

"All I need is you, Damon." She smiled as her eyes shined with unshed tears.

"I know that now, but I am nothing if not selfish and I need one more thing from you."

"Anything." She answered breathlessly.

"Marry me, Elena. Nothing would make me happier than to live forever with you and watch our children and maybe even our grandchildren, god willing, grow up. These were fantasies I never allowed myself to indulge until I met you, and I know now they are only possible because of you." He told her as he carefully lifted the lid on the box to reveal a vintage diamond and sapphire engagement ring.

Elena's fingers shook as she watched Damon carefully lift the ring from the satin lined box and slide it onto her finger. She couldn't help but notice how his hands shook as well.

Her lower lip quivered as a single tear stained her cheek and Damon quickly swept it away trying to gauge her response.

She lifted her eyes to his a moment later and smiled brighter than he'd ever seen and he knew in that moment that she wouldn't say no.

"Yes, Damon!" She whispered as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with every ounce of joy and love she felt.

Instantly, he felt her emotions wash over him just as he felt his explode around them dousing her heavily in relief, excitement, love and just the tiniest bit of fear.

"God, I love you so much Lena. I feel like you've given me my first breath of life in over 150 years, and I don't know how I survived without you all this time." He smiled.

She returned his smile as she looked down a the ring on her finger once more.

"If you don't like it, we can go and pick out something more modern." He said as he turned the ring on her finger marveling at the perfect fit. "Anything you want."

"Damon, it's absolutely perfect." She said as she ran her thumbs under his eyes capturing the tears he hadn't realized had escaped.

"It was my mother's. It was the only thing I kept after all these years, though I never thought I'd find someone she would have been proud to call her daughter, not until you." He said as he kissed her.

* * *

I wanted this moment to stand alone, hence the short format.

I'll post a link to the ring on my profile page :)


	31. Shelter Me

**I do not own Vampire Diaries, but I like to escape into their world when I can. It makes me happy, and we could all use a little happy :}**

I wasn't planning to write a chapter today, but I had a rough morning that had me feeling a little restless and I wanted to take my mind off of everything. I got to meet with the prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, police on the scene and the judge, and heard all about the man who caused this accident, suffice it to say because some people did not do their jobs before this man was still on the road when he should have been in jail long ago. Good news is, I don't think he's going to get so lucky this time. Time will tell.

Anyway, my frustrations bore this chapter...so I hope you like it. It's got some serious moments and some fun!

Xoxo, Livi

I'm going a little old school with this song. My sister's high school era to be exact. She'll kill me for dating her like that :)

**FYI, I did post two chapter's today...so make sure you read WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD first!**

* * *

_I wonder how I'd feel  
If our emotions came together  
I wonder how I'd feel  
If the future was forever  
And not just tonight_

_Oh-oh-oh  
Shelter me  
Oh-oh-oh  
I need you to shelter me_

_Shelter Me by The Outfield_

* * *

Rebekah woke as she felt the bones in her neck snap, pop and shift back into place. Once again, her brother had chosen his beloved Petrova bloodline over his real family. Anger coursed through her are she stood up and rifled through her drawers looking for the stake she kept hidden there.

"Maybe I can't kill Damon or Elena, but I can sure do some damage to the people she loves." She thought aloud.

She bounded down the stairs and yanked the door so hard the hinges groaned and ran head long into a solid wall of nothing. She was bound to the house somehow.

"Bekah, you can't go off in a murderous rage. Klaus said you've been compelled by Elena and unfortunately for you, that means unless she dies you don't get around that. Ever. Seeing as she can't die barring some kind of supernatural complication, I'd say you are about as dangerous as a yappy little puppy right about now." Kol said from his perch on the couch where he was flipping through one of Klaus' many first editions.

Rebekah closed her eyes as rage bloomed in her chest, how had Elena compelled her and why couldn't she remember?

"Compelled me to do what exactly? And why can't I leave the house?" She spat.

"She compelled you to forget what happened it seems, but more importantly she compelled you not to be able to harm her friends or family. By the looks of it, you can't leave the house as long as you have murder on the brain."

Her thoughts took on a new course as she tried to find a way to retaliate that didn't involve her directly injuring a member of the wonder twins inner circle. It only took a few moments for her to hatch a new plan.

"Where are you going?" Kol asked as she bolted into the cellar.

Rebekah threw open the door that housed 4 coffins. She knew only one would be occupied at the moment. She threw open the first three only to find them empty, but the real shock came when the fourth one was empty as well.

"You didn't really think Klaus would keep him here when you are hell bent on finding a way to lash out at his Petrova prize did you? Or Miss Forbes?" her brother said from his spot on the couch when she stormed back into the room.

"Don't you see, Klaus isn't aware of the danger he's putting all of us in. It's only a matter of time before his desire for more hybrids eclipses his desire for blondie's acceptance and his hope that she'll love him in return someday. Really, how long can he keep this up before he slips and reminds her what a heartless bastard he really is, and then we're all going to be wearing a target on our backs. Elena and Damon will kill us to strike at Klaus, and who knows maybe they can even kill Klaus. Do you really want to wait around and see?" Rebekah shouted.

"No, I don't but, I also don't want brother dearest to dagger me and stash me in a box for the next fifty years. I'd rather die than rot in a dank old storage facility. For god's sake, you went after Katherine to get at Damon and Elena and he broke your neck!"

"I What? Where's Katherine?"

"She's fine, though she still doesn't like you apparently. You didn't succeed, if that's what you're wondering."

"Come on Kol, please help me find Elijah. If you won't help me, at least help me find the one person who might."

"I wish I could little sister, but I don't know where Klaus stashed Elijah any more than you do."

"Then I have no choice." She said as she headed back down the stairs and into the cellar.

She flung open the door and jumped on the hunter wrapping her fingers easily around his neck before she spoke.

"You're going to find my brother Elijah. When you do, You're going to remove the dagger and bring him to me. If you do, I promise that I will find a way to put an end to your miserable existence." Rebekah said as she watched the hunter's eyes contract as her compulsion took hold.

"I will find Elijah." He repeated.

"You will not seek out any other vampires, or hunters. You will only return Elijah to me." She clarified.

The hunter nodded and she let go of his neck and stepped aside allowing him to leave the cellar as she followed him up the stairs and watched him walk out the door and head out on his mission.

"Klaus is not going to be happy that you let his pet leave."

"I don't give a damn what he thinks, I won't sit around and wait for this to blow up in our faces. I most certainly didn't survive a thousand years to be put down by a bloody teenager and her man whore of a vampire love interest." Rebekah spat as she made her way back upstairs to wait.

"Careful Beks, your jealousy is showing. Correct me if I'm wrong but his 'man whoring' ways didn't stop you from having a go, more than once if I recall." Kol smirked.

A moment later, he was greeted with a hail of dry wall as the chandelier above his head shook under the weight of her tantrum upstairs.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Back at the boarding house, Elena and Damon had spent the morning talking about the future and decided it was time to let the rest of the group in on their secret. Or at least the ones who didn't have super human hearing anyway. Damon thought perhaps it was time to look into some sort of vampire sound proofing.

So they summoned everyone out to the boarding house later that afternoon.

It was about 4:30 when Jeremy, Bonnie, Tyler and Matt arrived. And Damon pulled Bonnie off to the side with a serious look that made her quite nervous.

"Walk with me Sabrina." Damon said as he opened the back door onto the patio and led her outside away prying ears.

"Damon, I know you don't just want to chat...so whatever you need just spill it." She said as she looked for any clue as to what he was up to.

"It's nothing bad, it's just that the house has been a little crowded of late." He answered when he was sure no one could hear.

"Yeah. What's that got to do with me?" She wondered aloud.

"Well, as you can imagine it's a little hard to get a little privacy when nearly everyone can hear every little noise or conversation."

Bonnie looked at him a moment and then realization dawned.

"Oh god! Thanks for putting that in my head!"

"Not what I meant exactly, but that's an issue, too." He said as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

"What on earth did you MEAN then."

"You'll find out in a little bit, but suffice it to say there are some things I would love to talk to Elena about before the whole world has to hear about it."

"Like?" Bonnie asked hoping she wouldn't get an answer she wasn't prepared to handle.

"Marriage, Bonnie. I asked Elena to marry me and we called everyone out here to share the news. But, as you can imagine half the house is already aware of our news and Elena doesn't get to be the first to tell everyone. She's already been deprived of so much Bonnie, I just want to be able to give her as many human experiences as I still can and that list is getting pretty short. And I don't want her to have to worry about what people hear and don't hear, I know privacy may not be an issue for me, but I never want her to be uncomfortable here."

"Damon, I think I might actually like you a little bit when you're all sweet and protective of Elena." Bonnie smiled.

"Don't tell anyone, I wouldn't want to ruin my rep." Damon winked. "All kidding aside, do you think you could help me do a little vampire sound proofing? I know Stefan would probably appreciate it as well. God knows this hasn't been easy on him either and despite my occasional gloating, I don't want to make this any worse than it already has been for him or Elena."

"Damon, I know that. Stefan does, too. Sure he was hurt, but he would have wanted Elena to have children and he couldn't have given her that. No one expected that you would be able to, but you can. And he gets to be an uncle. It won't undo the hurt, but I know you couldn't ask for a better guardian to help you look after Elena and your child."

"Actually….No. I'm going to let Elena surprise you with the rest. What do you say we go inside and let her tell you."

"Sure, and Damon. Consider it done." Bonnie said as she tried out Damon's trademark smirk.

"Thanks, teen witch!" Damon said as he pulled her into his side for a half hug.

When they returned, they were still waiting on Klaus and Caroline so Bonnie walked upstairs to check out the rooms and work out a spell to help Damon.

"What are you up to?" Jeremy said as he walked into the room behind her.

"Just getting the lay of the land. I promised Damon I would sound proof the rooms up here."

"Oh, eww." Jeremy said before taking a closer look at the room before him as Bonnie moved to the next room, which was Damon and Elena's.

He'd never spent a lot of time upstairs in the Salvatore's, but he knew this room had been full of junk a few weeks ago when Elena had been so sick and he'd wandered in here by accident as he tried to find his way around.

Now, the boxes had been cleared away along with a centuries worth of dust and the wood floors had been polished back to their original shine. In the corner were the pieces to two cribs which he might have thought were Damon and Stefan's at some point until he noticed the pink accents and the names etched into the wood work that someone had painstakingly carved by hand.

"Lilah and Ellie" He read aloud as he ran his fingers over the wood.

Jeremy looked around as he noticed cans of pink and yellow paint, and suddenly he realized he was looking at the new nursery and there were two of everything. He smiled as he bolted from the room in search of his sister.

Bonnie had just finished up a spell that would sound proof Damon and Elena's room as well as Stefan's and what appeared to be the nursery when she heard Caroline and Klaus' voices echoing from the foyer and headed downstairs to join them.

As everyone gathered around the living room, on the various couches they looked curiously at Damon and Elena. It didn't escape anyone that Damon's hands lay protectively over her belly as he asked her, "Do you want to tell them?"

She smiled and kissed his cheek with a nod.

"We don't want to do anything extravagant, but we were hoping you would all attend a small wedding ceremony." She said as her smile radiated across the room.

Everyone glanced between them and smiled as they all started speaking at once.

"That's great! Congratulations!" Tyler said.

"I'm happy for you Lena." Matt shared.

"Awwww! You're getting married?" Caroline said as she bounced in place beside Klaus who attempted to keep her on the ground as he smiled at her.

"Congratulations." Klaus said.

"Yeah! Does that mean we get to be bridesmaids?" Bonnie asked.

Jeremy walked over to Elena and wrapped his arms around her as he lifted her off the ground into a hug and whispered with a knowing smile, "I'm happy for you guys. All of you."

"Shh. We'll get to that." She smiled as she hugged him back.

Stefan walked over to Damon and smiled as he put and arm around him and said, "I never thought I'd get to a place where I could be happy for you guys, but seeing the two of you together and well, you know...I could never have given her those things. All I ever wanted for her was to see her happy. I love you, brother."

"You, too little brother." Damon said as he looked into his brothers eyes.

A moment later, Elena joined them with a smile and said, "Can I get in on this brother bonding, or what?"

Stefan pulled her into a hug and whispered, "Welcome to the family."

A moment later he reached out and pulled Damon into their hug as well.

With that the group all laughed as the dynamic had changed yet again.

"So, when are you going to marry?" Klaus asked once the group settled down.

"This weekend." Damon shared.

"Oh my god! How are we going to find a dress, and a church! There's so much to do!" Caroline said as she looked on the verge of exploding.

"Calm down, Care." Elena said. "Damon and I talked about this earlier, and we're going to get married at the cemetery."

"What! I'm sorry did you just say the cemetary?" Caroline bellowed.

"Listen Care, it's where my family is. Besides, lately the church doesn't hold many good memories either. So, that's where we're going to get married. In front of mom and dad, Jenna and Alaric. This is not negotiable." Elena said calmly.

Jeremy smiled as he felt Ric's presence beside him a moment before he saw him.

"Tell her I'll be there. We all will." Ric told him.

"Ric likes that idea, he said they'll all be there." Jeremy said as he looked at Ric.

Elena stared at Jeremy with tears in her eyes and smiled as Damon wrapped his arms around her and looked on, too.

"Miss you, buddy." He whispered into the air.

"Tell them their children are beautiful and that I miss him, too." Ric said as two little Elena clones with bright blue eyes appeared at his side and smiled at him.

"I'll tell them." Jeremy responded as he watched Ric walk away holding their hands.

"Tell us what?" Elena asked.

"Why don't you share the rest of your news. I don't want his comment to spoil your surprise." Jeremy smiled as everyone glanced at him while he stared at Elena's stomach.

"We're having twins." Damon said as he placed his hands back over Elena's belly.

The room erupted in an ear splitting squeal that Damon knew had to be coming from Vampire Barbie and he still couldn't help but smile.

"So what did Ric say?" Damon asked.

"He said your children are beautiful, and they are, I saw them, too." Jeremy said as he rubbed at his eyes.

"How?" Elena asked. "They're not…."

"No, I think they can choose who sees them." Stefan said. "I guess they chose to let Alaric see them, and Jeremy, too."

"Dammit, why won't they chose to let us see them?" Damon said as he pouted while he hugged Elena.

"We'll see them soon enough." She whispered as she kissed him.

"So, Bonnie...how's that spell coming." Damon asked with a smirk.

"Consider it done." Bonnie said with a wink before turning to Stefan and saying, "You can thank me later."

* * *

So, how was that? A little bit of Raging Rebekah (she was compelled to forget the incident with Delena and Kat, but she clearly she hasn't forgotten her fears or her spite, working around her latest predicament should be entertaining though)...a little bit of fluff.

I'm still trying to catch up so I make sure I don't step all over the plot, so please forgive me if I make any mistakes and do let me know. I'm trying. I really, really want to write at the moment, so I'm trying to multi-task, writing and playing catch up at the same time. ;}

Thanks for all the messages and reviews. I have a lot of catching up to do and responses, too! But know that I have loved reading your reviews and messages and I appreciate all of them!

Liv


	32. SexyBack

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries, but wouldn't it be fun to work on that show :) **

Just a quick note because I'm being moved back to ICU as it would appear that I have an infection (ICU is just a precaution, so don't panic ... promise I'm okay). I was supposed to have my last two surgeries this week, however those will be postponed until my fever is under control. At any rate, it is unlikely that I will have access to my computer with any regularity up there, so I wanted to post this.

Just an FYI, this is un-beta'd and I'm kind of rushing to get this up so you don't have to wait. So, if there are glaring mistakes, know that I own them :)

Also wanted to say thanks to Ronin for making me laugh after a rough couple of days. And to everyone else who has been reviewing and messaging back and forth with me :) Rena, Carol, Jess, Angel, if I didn't mention you...it's not because I don't appreciate it, I love all of you guys!

Anyway, hope you like. No song :( because I'm running out of time tonight, but after the Grammy's, I'm thinking Justin Timberlake would have done well (Since we all know Damon is bringing Sexy Back)

xoxoxo

Livi

* * *

_"So, Bonnie...how's that spell coming." Damon asked with a smirk._

_"Consider it done." Bonnie said with a wink before turning to Stefan and saying, "You can thank me later."_

* * *

Stefan stared after Bonnie as he tried to figure out what that little exchange had been about, while Damon grabbed Elena and sped up the stairs with her in his arms.

The rest of the group sat down and discussed Jeremy's little vision further hoping the sounds of their conversation would keep them from hearing what was going on behind closed doors above them.

Bonnie just smiled as she waited to see if her spell had been effective while she carefully watched the vampires for any sign that the couple upstairs was heard.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

"Damon, what was that about?" Elena asked as he deposited her on the bed and walked into the bathroom to turn on the shower.

When he came back out wearing only a smirk, Elena held up a hand and tried to scurry away from his lascivious gaze.

"Damon, we're in a house full of vampires. I know you aren't even a little bit modest," She said as she gestured to his naked form, "but I'd rather not put on a show for them."

"Baby, it's not the first time any of them have heard us." He purred as he stepped towards her like she was his prey.

"Maybe not, but….." She stopped as she recalled his question to Bonnie. "What spell?"

"I had Bonnie do a little supernatural home improvement." He said as he leaned in and kissed her neck while his hands slowly crept under the hem of her shirt.

"What did she do?" Elena asked sounding more than a little breathless.

Damon sucked the skin just below her earlobe before he whispered, "Sound proofing."

Elena jerked back and nearly shouted, "You mean we can be as loud as we want and not even Klaus could hear us?"

"That's was the plan." He smiled as he yanked her shirt over her head and went to work on the rest of her clothing.

Elena hesitated for a moment as she eyed the stunningly beautiful man before her leaving Damon to wonder what she was thinking.

"Lena…." He started before the sounds of ripping fabric and violently displaced air surrounded him.

Within a second, he found himself pressed against the warm damp wall of his shower as water cascaded around him, and now he was the prey. Elena's skin glistened under the water and her silky chocolate locks clung to her skin in a way that made him envious as she stood across the large space, too far away to touch.

"Come to me." He whispered as he held out a hand.

"Always." She whispered as she slipped effortlessly into his waiting arms and graced him with a slow and sensual kiss.

Damon picked up her soap and lathered it up between his palms taking in the sweet scent that was purely Elena. As he replaced it back on the rack, he allowed his fingers to slip effortlessly over her skin eliciting a throaty moan from Elena. The sound caused his eyes to roll back as desire swirled around and between the pair.

"God, I love when you do that." He whispered as he gently bit into her neck in a decidedly human manner.

"Ohhhh, Damon." She whimpered as she arced into his touch.

"I take it back, I love that more." He growled as he anchored her leg over his hip and pressed her against the steam covered glass before he gave in to both of their needs and eased into her.

Elena shuddered as she wound her arms around his neck and leaned in, letting her tongue dance over the vein that jumped just beneath his skin. Black veins laced themselves beneath her lashes a moment before her teeth pierced his skin and forced a deep guttural groan from Damon's throat.

In an instant, Damon felt the flood of pleasure that was dancing over Elena as his blood enveloped her tongue. His body was tighly coiled as his control quickly began to chase the spiraling water down the drain. His movements becoming more erratic as he plunged into her hoping that she could taste his urgency, and he was rewarded as her lips left his skin as she cried out a desperate release.

As she shook beneath his weight, he allowed his teeth to sink into her flesh taking the taste he'd been craving since the door closed almost an hour ago. Her pleasure filled moan tore through the humid air surrounding them driving him harder as another climax ripped through her and he was helpless against his own release.

He gave in as his lips found hers, their blood mingling across the languorous kiss.

When he was sure Elena's legs could support her weight, he set her under the cooling spray of water as they rinsed off before he shut the spray off altogether. Damon carefully wrapped a towel around her shoulders before securing a towel low around his hips.

Damon smirked as he walked into the closet and said, "So what do you think, should we go downstairs and see how Witchipedia's spell worked?"

If she could have, Elena would have blushed at his statement, what if it hadn't worked...surely they were not quiet by any stretch.

"I hope so, because there was no mistaking what occurred if it didn't." She said as she joined him in their closet.

"Love, there's no mistaking it anyway. In a house this old the water is going to tell the story, because I don't think anyone's going to believe we took a nap in the shower." He said as he let his fingers comb through her damp waves.

"Well, then I guess we'd better get this over with." She said as she rolled her eyes and searched for something she could put on that would cover the blush, even though she knew she wasn't really capable of that anymore.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

As the lock disengaged at the top of the stairs, Klaus glanced at the stairs expectantly.

"Well, it looks like nap time is….." He stalled as he took in the damp hair each of them were sporting and glanced directly at Bonnie.

Stefan, Caroline and Tyler all looked at her as well when they realized that they had not heard a peep from the couple since the door closed an hour and a half ago.

"Either you two are into something kinkier than I've imagined, or your witch has figured out how to put a silencer on your bedroom olympics, because the last time I was here when you two were feeling amorous, I almost had a sympathy orgasm." Klaus said as he winked at Caroline.

The rest of them didn't need to know that it wasn't entirely on account of their enthusiastic love making, but he was happy to see the secret smile that told him Caroline knew exactly who was to blame. Now if only he could persuade her to turn that almost into an absolute, and preferably shared between them.

Elena and Damon smiled as Bonnie pat herself on the back and Stefan leaned in and kissed her soundly on the cheek as Jeremy glared at him.

"Sorry, I just owed her a proper thank you." Stefan explained with a shrug.

"So what, you cloaked them with a shroud of silence?" Tyler asked with a grin.

"Something like that. There are now four rooms upstairs that will provide privacy to anyone inside." She said as she looked at Damon, Elena and Stefan.

"Hold up, how come nobody heard the running water?" Damon wondered as he'd noticed the shock on Klaus' face when they appeared.

"Give me some credit, Damon. Your bathroom was made for sex...so I made sure to silence everything." Bonnie said with a smirk.

"Bon, you said four rooms. Why four?" Elena asked.

"Oh, well there's your room obviously, Stefan's, the nursery and one of the guest rooms for...you know...guests." Bonnie said as she looked nervously at Jeremy for the last part.

"Oh." Damon said. "Ohhh."

Jeremy actually blushed as Damon pointed between him and Bonnie.

"Oh thank god, because THAT is not something I need to hear." Elena practically shouted before glancing between Caroline and Klaus to say, "It was bad enough hearing your….foreplay the other night."

Caroline hung her head as Klaus just smirked knowing Elena and Damon would have heard them as well. He didn't care in the slightest that they had been outed, but Caroline was now staring apologetically at Tyler who looked like he'd been gutted.

Elena's hand flew over her mouth as she gasped realizing the sting her words carried, so Damon stepped in to save the day as usual.

"Well, the good news is, you won't have to hear babies screaming all night Stef...the bad news is one of these days little Gilbert and Sabrina might be moving in."

Tyler looked relieved to hear Damon's typically graceless commentary reverberate around the room along with some moderately uncomfortable laughter.

"So, what's the plan for the wedding?" Jeremy asked once the room had settled.

There was a collective sigh from everyone regarding the change of subject.

"Well, I'm going to keep that a secret. Apart from needing a little help from Bonnie, I want it to be a surprise." Damon said as he smiled down at Elena and kissed her forehead.

"What about a dress? Tomorrow's Friday! If you really want to get married on Saturday you might want to work on time travel, Bon." Caroline said in a panic.

"It's a good thing you don't need to breath, Barbie." Damon said with a laugh before tilting his head and offering his solution.

Damon reached into his pocket and produced his wallet handing it over to Elena and said, "Whatever you want, love. New York is only a few hours away, if you leave tonight you could be back by dinner tomorrow."

"Perfect!" Caroline said as she snatched the wallet from his hand and took off with a shocked Elena in tow.

Damon waved to Bonnie to follow him upstairs as soon as the front door closed. He paused about midway up and looked at Jeremy before he shouted, "Gilbert, get up here….I think there's something you can help with, too."

With that, Jeremy headed up the stairs to follow his girl and his soon to be brother in law.

* * *

Next chapter will hopefully not be too far off.


	33. Can't Help Falling In Love With You

**I do not own Vampire Diaries. I am simply not that lucky or that talented :)**

BTW, I'm doing fine. Still in ICU because of a high fever, but the lack of visitors allowed means I get to write a little more :)

Enjoy, this chapter is pretty fluffy and girly... Erin beta'd for me, but in a rush...so crucify me, not her. I plan to blame the drugs anyway :)

xoxo

Livi

* * *

_Wise men say, only fools rush in_  
_But I can't help falling in love with you_  
_Shall I stay_  
_Would it be a sin_  
_If I can't help falling in love with you_

_Like a river flows, surely to the sea_  
_Darling so it goes_  
_Some things are meant to be_  
_Take my hand, take my whole life too_  
_For I can't help falling in love with you_

_Can't Help Falling In Love With You (This song has been done by so many people, but Monica brought up some NOLA greats and it is Mardi Gras time...so how about Harry Connick Jr. And Wynton Masalis)_

* * *

Elena and Caroline arrived in New York, they checked into the St. Regis Hotel where Damon had called ahead and made a reservation.

"Welcome to the St. Regis. How may I help you?" The desk attendant asked.

"Hi, we're checking in." Elena said as she handed over Damon's plum card.

"Ah, good evening Mrs. Salvatore." The attendant said before handing the card back.

"The room has already been taken care of, Alexander will show you to your suite and your bags will be up shortly."

Elena smiled at his assumption feeling giddy knowing in two days she'd be Mrs. Salvatore for real!

The room was ridiculously over the top with a sitting room connecting two bedrooms.

"Whoa. Damon doesn't mess around." Caroline said.

"Nope. He's pretty over the top in everything he does." Elena said with a laugh.

"Of course, but one room would have been plenty."

As they walked towards the small dining table they noticed a beautiful array of flowers and sweets arranged before them.

"What's this?" Elena wondered as she picked up a card that was attached to a small bakery box.

"Open it." Caroline said.

Elena slid her finger under the envelopes flap and pulled a card free noticing Damon's perfect script.

_I took the liberty of calling my favorite florist and bakery, someone will come by in the morning to go over your selections. I've also made an appointment at Vera Wang Bride on Madison, it is all yours from 2-5pm. Be prepared for a few surprises along the way. Don't let Barbie keep you up too late.  
_

_Love,_

_Damon_

"Awe, I don't even mind that he called me Barbie when he's being so sweet!" Caroline cooed.

"Hmmm. I wonder what else he has planned?"

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Klaus, Matt, Stefan and Tyler sat awkwardly as they waited for Damon, Bonnie and Jeremy to return. Matt tried valiantly to keep some sort of conversation going, but after a while he decided it wasn't possible. Fortunately, Stefan stepped in with a solution.

"Who wants a drink?"

Finally something everyone can agree on Matt thought.

Once everyone had a steady stream of alcohol to calm their thoughts, the conversation started to flow. It wasn't comfortable by any stretch, but it didn't look like it was going to end in bloodshed any longer.

When Damon finally returned he said, "Alright boys, it's time to go. We're having a bachelor party tomorrow night and I want everyone rested up!"

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

After Caroline and Elena got ready for bed, the made their way back into the living area and started to open the small boxes that contained various cakes filled with assorted berries, custards and ganaches and topped with velvety smooth butter creams in a variety of flavors. There must have been fifteen different little cakes altogether and it made Elena think of Alice in Wonderland, all pastel colored petite versions of the real thing.

As they were sampling their favorites for the second time, a knock sounded at the door and Elena jumped from her seat and bounded over to find a server with a bottle of sparkling cider, a little red lunchbox and a note card.

"Would you like for me to open this for you miss?" He asked as he handed her the card and set the ice bucket beside the table.

"Sure." She smiled as she abandoned the card and rifled through her wallet for a tip.

"Oh no, miss. It's already taken care of." He told her as he handed her a glass.

"Thank you." She said as she followed him to the door sipping her cider.

Once the door closed, Caroline squealed and asked, "What does it say?"

Elena picked up the forgotten card and read it aloud.

_I hope that you are enjoying your evening. Be sure to get some sleep for your busy day tomorrow._

_~D_

_P.S. Don't forget you are eating for three._

"Wow. Damon Salvatore's got game!" Caroline said as she watched Elena pop open the box to find four blood bags that were labeled Caroline, Elena, Ellie and Lilah and sandwiched between little ice pods.

Elena returned to the table and the two of them wrote down their top three cake selections and set aside the floral arrangement they liked before Elena took the lunch box with her supply and headed off to the bedroom, leaving Caroline to do the same.

Once she finished up, she put the spent bags back in the lunch box and set it on the counter making a mental note to take it with them when they left for the day.

Then she crawled into her big lonely bed and picked up her phone to call Damon.

"Hello, love." He answered.

Elena could hear the slip of the cool silk sheets as he climbed into bed and found herself wishing she was there, too.

"Hi."

"How was your evening?" He asked.

"Wonderful!" She gushed. "I never even thought about flowers and cake, but of course you thought of everything."

"I aim to please. Besides, you only get married to your undead baby daddy once, so I wanted it to be perfect!" Damon said with a laugh.

"Awe, you're so romantic!" She cooed as she shook with laughter.

"Get some sleep love, tomorrow's going to be a busy day. You can expect the florist and baker around ten, so sleep in if you want. I've arranged a car to take you around the city. It'll arrive at noon to take you to lunch anywhere you like, and then to the dress shop."

"I love you, Damon." She whispered around a yawn.

"Love you, too Elena." He answered as he ended the call.

Elena fall asleep almost instantly with a bright smile on her lips.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

The following mornings appointments went smoothly as they made their selections with the florist and the baker. Damon had already made arrangements for them to be delivered to the boarding house the following day. He really had thought of everything.

Caroline and Elena were smiling from ear to ear as they made their way down to the lobby to find a limo waiting to take them around for the day. When the driver opened the back door the girls couldn't help but squeal in delight as Bonnie stepped out and threw her arms around them.

"Damon didn't want us to miss this experience together." She said with a smile.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I think I might be in love with your future husband. Who knew underneath that womanizing shell there was a heart of gold." Caroline said.

"I have to admit, he's pretty darn adorable, at the moment." Bonnie said with a smirk before pretending to gag. "All kidding aside though, this was pretty sweet."

The three girls got into the limo and made their way towards the dress shop deciding to find a spot for lunch nearby. When they walked into the Dress salon, they were quickly greeted by a half dozen staff members who escorted them back to a room that housed dresses in every shape, size and color.

"I'm Melina, I'll be helping you today." A tall brunette said in greeting.

"Can we get you anything to drink?" another woman asked. "Your fiance requested water and sparkling cider, but we also have coffee and tea if you prefer."

As the woman scurried off to collect their drinks Melina sat down and asked, "Would you like to look at bridal gowns or bridesmaids first?"

"Bridal gowns!" Caroline said as she clapped her hands together.

"Okay." Melina said with a laugh. "What do you have in mind? Long trains, strapless, sheath, you name it!"

"We're getting married outside, so no trains and not a sheath, I don't want to trip and fall." Elena said as she giggled and rolled her eyes.

Melina nodded as she wrote and took measurements of the three girls while they talked.

"I love the idea of strapless, and maybe I can find a wrap or something to go with it? I definitely want an accent in blue." Elena said.

"Okay. What color blue?"

"Ocean blue." Caroline said as she held up her phone with a picture of the flower arrangement.

"Okay, shall I assume that you'd like the bridesmaids in blue also?" Melina asked.

"Yes." Elena answered.

"Okay ladies, let's pull some dresses!" Melina ordered as the other women began pulling anything that met the requirements.

Elena tried on about two dozen dresses before Melina returned and said, "We have one more dress for you to try a special request from your fiance."

"It's in the dressing room." One of the other girls said.

Elena wandered back to the dressing room and gasped as she saw a stunning dress. It was something she may never have picked out on her own, but leave it to Damon to know exactly what she's looking for.

It had a ruched fitted bodice with a flowing tulle skirt, and one of the inner layers was bright blue that appeared a very pale ocean blue under the added layers of white over top. Next to it was a perfectly matched fitted blue knit sweater with a satin bow that tied at the front. It was perfect for an outdoor wedding without too much pouf and she loved it.

Elena turned as Melina came into the room to help her with the gown. Once she put it on, she knew it was perfect, Caroline and Bonnie were in total agreement.

Once that was settled, they moved on to the bridesmaids. They opted for simple cocktail dresses with 3/4 sleeves in a deeper blue tone.

"Ladies, it's been such a pleasure. We'll have your dresses and shoes ready to go first thing tomorrow morning." Melina said as she was walking them out.

"Tomorrow?" Elena practically pouted.

"Oh yes, we just need to make a few minor adjustments but your fiance said that would be fine."

"Of course." Elena said knowing that meant she wouldn't see Damon until the following day.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

When they arrived back at the hotel, Elena decided to soak in a hot bath and sulk while the girls ordered dinner.

After about twenty minutes, Caroline knocked on the door before it swung open.

"You know Care, you're supposed to wait for me to invite you in BEFORE you open the door."

"Whatever, we're going dancing! It's your last night as a single woman!" Caroline ordered as Bonnie came with a pair of black skinny jeans and a silky red halter top that left her entire back exposed.

"Don't you think it's a little cold for that?" Elena asked as she grabbed a towel and climbed out of the tub.

"I've got the perfect thing!" Caroline said as she bolted from the bathroom only to return a half second later with Damon's leather jacket.

"Care, how the hell did you get Damon's favorite leather jacket."

"I grabbed it when I left this morning." Bonnie answered sounding a little guilty perhaps.

"You know it's going to be kind of big."

"Yes, but it will also tell any guy that gets near you that you're taken...so I'm pretty sure that would make Damon happy!" Caroline offered.

Elena took the jacket from Caroline and held it up to her nose enjoying his scent. She could almost feel his warmth radiating from the supple leather.

"Fine." Elena relented as she shooed them out the door to get dressed.

They ate dinner in near silence before they made their way back down to the lobby to find there was once again a car waiting to take them anywhere.

"Take us to the hottest dance club in the city!" Caroline told the driver.

"Yes, ma'am." The driver said.

Of course, when they pulled up outside, there was a line out the door but, Caroline being Caroline walked right up to the door whispered to the bouncer and held up three fingers then watched as he unclipped the rope and said, "Have a lovely evening ladies."

"God I love being a vampire sometimes!" Caroline said quietly as she smiled at her friends.

Elena and Bonnie just laughed. Compulsion was a pretty handy trick.

The three of them made their way out to the middle of the dance floor in the throng of sweaty bodies and danced for what felt like an hour. Elena finally had to peel Damon's jacket off and started to make her way over to the bar when she felt a hand glide over her exposed back, "So beautiful."

The voice sent a thread of heat down her spine as her heart jumped in her chest.

"Damon! What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Bachelor party, of course!" He smirked as he point back to Caroline and Bonnie who were now dancing with Klaus and Jeremy.

"You came all the way to New York to see me!" She said as she kissed him soundly on the lips.

"I did. Turns out two nights is more than I can handle." He said.

"Where's everyone else? What about Stefan?" She asked.

"He wanted to come, but he and Tyler decided to stay with Katherine in case Rebekah made a move. And Matt didn't want to be a third wheel, or a seventh I suppose."

"When did you get here?"

"We drove Bonnie up this morning. How'd you really think she got this?" Damon said as he pulled his jacket on.

Elena smiled and dragged Damon back out onto the dance floor where they stayed for another hour or so before everyone headed back to the hotel.

As they arrived, Damon said, "I hope you don't mind but I had your stuff moved to my suite. I wanted some privacy, and I figured you would rather not share the suite with Bonnie and Jeremy...just in case."

Damon winked as before they both glanced over at the two of them looking all loved up.

No, she was certain hearing any part of what was about to happen between them would definitely be a mood killer.

"Good plan." Elena whispered as he helped her out of the limo.

The others opted to have a drink in the bar, but Elena looked exhausted, so Damon wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "How about you try to steal my virtue before I run off and get married tomorrow?"

"Damon, your virtue ran off screaming while you were still human." She said with a giggle as they walked into the elevator.

"Well then, perhaps we can do something about yours?" He said as he slipped his hands against the exposed skin at her back underneath his favorite jacket once again.

"Is that why you came here?" She asked with a shudder as she felt his tongue caress the skin below her ear.

"Nope. I came here to make sure I got to have the last dance with you as a single woman. But, I wouldn't be offended if you wanted to get naked, too." He said as he waggled his eyebrows at her.

As the elevator dinged, Damon took her hand and led her to their room and when they stepped inside she saw three Vera Wang garment bags, a shoe box and large square velvet box.

"What?" She asked as she looked between him and the dresses.

"I asked Melina to lie a little. I was there before you got there and picked out a few things. I wanted to make sure you didn't come rushing back to Mystic Falls to bed your hot as hell fiance. I figured not having the dress ready to go would do the trick." He said with a smirk.

"You're so bad!" She said as she jogged over to the boxes and flipped the lid on perfectly matched shoes and a stunning string of pearls and matching earrings.

"Feel free to punish me, love." He whispered in her ear.

She kissed him and said, "Everything is beautiful and perfect!"

"Not exactly punishment." He whispered as he untied the ribbon holding her halter top in place.

"I don't want to punish you, Damon. I just want to love you." She cooed as she pushed him onto the bed.

"Love away then pretty girl." He whispered as he threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her in for a soul stealing kiss.

* * *

Hope you like it...wondering what's going to happen with Klaus and Caroline? Maybe, just maybe you'll get to see that chapter since you just helped me hit 70,000 views. Considering how much I've been absent lately...that's pretty awesome. And the 377 reviews is AMAZING, too. I love all of you for sharing your thoughts, prayers and predictions! You are the reason I've been able to keep this story going no matter what! I love it so much, and the response has been so crazy!

What do you think Rebekah is up to? Love to hear your thoughts!

I'll share in few chapters...but I'm going to let them get married in peace first. So I promise, no one will die or get maimed at the ceremony :) which is coming up in the next chapter or two! Though, something big and bad is a brewing...so buckle up kids!


	34. RIP

**RIP Olivia 1980-2013**

For those of you that have been following The Sire Bond since the beginning, you probably already know that just after the new year Liv was hit by a drunk driver. Her injuries were severe, and yet she managed to fight the odds. After 5 weeks, she was doing quite well and was hoping to leave the hospital in a few more weeks. But, Liv started showing signs of a massive infection and before long it had moved to her heart. In the end, her will to fight was far stronger than her body. She passed away peacefully and surrounded by her family in the early hours of Monday February 18, 2013.

If you've been following, you also know who I am. My name is Erin and I was Liv's closest friend, co-worker and room mate. We've been friends since we ate dirt and played in the sandbox.

**Anyway, Liv wrote several chapters in the two last weeks that have yet to be posted, so I am hoping I can get them up sometime in the next week or so. And I promised her that I would finish The Sire Bond. I truly hope that I can do it justice for her and for all of you that have been reading it. **

Please bear with me as it may take me a little time to get back to writing, but I promise you I will finish it!

If you are just happening upon this story or worried about where it's going now, I've been beta'ing this story since it started and it is something that Liv and I have talked about often, so I will always do my best to continue in the direction that Liv intended! I love this story too!

One final note, Liv adored each and everyone of you who supported her and this story. She truly did. It was important to her that it got finished for all of you!

Erin


	35. Klaroline Outtake

**I do not own The Vampire Diaries. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

_*****This is an outtake Liv wrote, there are three more chapters from her as well. I thought about deleting the AN that Liv wrote, but I wanted it to be your choice if you wanted to read it. My note is at the bottom. If there are any mistakes, my apologies...I just couldn't change a word.~Erin*****_

* * *

_I just wanted to thank all of you for following this story despite the updates being few and further between of late. I promise to be better about that. It's been a rough week, and I haven't been feeling as well as I'd hoped but I've had some time to write and think about the direction I want this story to take. I hope that you enjoy this outtake with a little Klaroline moment :)_

_This story started out as something to pass the time and it turned into so much more because of all of you :) _

_I love you guys, and this story is now for you! _

_Sorry for the lack of song, I couldn't think of one...but if you do let me know and I'll add it!_

_Xoxo_

_Livi_

* * *

Jeremy, Bonnie, Klaus and Caroline had spent almost an hour in the bar before Caroline got up and told the group she was ready for bed.

With a big yawn, she excused herself and Klaus was quick to follow.

"What do you suppose those two are up to?" Jeremy asked.

"I don't know, but since we're sharing the suite with them I'm really glad that neither of us has supernatural hearing." Bonnie said with a laugh.

Jeremy held out his hand and helped Bonnie off the stool she'd been perched on as they made their way back up to the room as well.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

As soon as the door closed behind the pair, Klaus lifted Caroline into the air and sped into the bedroom where he pressed her against the wall and delivered a searing kiss. As her fingers tangled in his hair a low growl rumbled from his belly.

"Keep it up love and I'll be ripping this pretty dress." He whispered as he fingered the delicate fabric that laid across her shoulder.

Caroline gave him a sly smile as she leveraged herself back to the ground and literally shoved Klaus onto the bed before she grasped the collar of his shirt and sent buttons scattering across the floor. Her lips locked onto his collarbone as he reached around for the zipper on her dress still clinging to the last ounce of control as he tried not to destroy the dress.

"Rip it." Caroline growled.

Klaus looked at her for a split second as if to confirm the words he just heard come out of her mouth, once he was satisfied the dress lay in tatters on the floor. His eyes roamed over the porcelain skin that covered her lightly muscled frame. She was soft in all the right places he thought as he let his fingers glide over the curveof her hips to the pale blue scrap of lace that surrounded them.

"You are simply stunning, Love."

"You're not so bad yourself." She whispered as she kissed a path from the top of his sternum down to his navel where a this line of pale brown hair slipped beneath the top of his jeans.

"Oh love, you better not be playing because you are about to pass the point of no return." He whispered as watched her fingers dance over the buttonfly of his jeans.

"Oh I'll play, but trust me...love, you're going to like it." She said with a smirk as she turned his favored endearment on him for a change.

"Of that, I have no doubt." He said as he turned the tables once more and pinned her to the mattress with his legs anchoring her hips to the bed.

A moment later, her body began to heat up as his lips landed at the pulse point on her neck and his fingers began to coax the lacey fabric of her bra from her shoulders.

Caroline was never one for patience, she her hands were busy pulling his belt free and popping each of the buttons open until she could push his pants from his hips. The second her effort paid off Klaus relented and turned to his back raising his hips to help her remove his jeans.

As soon as they fell free landing in a puddle at her feet, Caroline reached back and released the clasp allowing her bra to join them while Klaus pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside. His eyes never left the woman standing before him.

"One day, I'd like to paint you just like that." He whispered as he held a hand out to her until she stood in front of him.

"Hmmm. Maybe someday." She said with a shy smile.

"Perhaps without these, love." He said as he gave her that devilish smile just before she felt the elastic snap against her skin and the last of her lacey undergarments hit the floor.

Before she could react, Klaus stood dropping the last scrap of cotton that separate them before he lifted Caroline and pressed her back to the wall with her belly level with his piercing blue eyes just seconds before she felt the cool caress of his lips.

"Over a thousand years and I've never seen a more beautiful sight." He whispered as he let her body slide down against his skin.

Caroline looked into his eyes as if to contest his assessment, but all she saw was that one glaring truth. That look erased any doubts that lingered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with a hunger she had never shown him before.

Klaus turned and pulled the sheets back before gently laying her back against the pillows and settling himself above her resting on his elbows. He stared openly at her as he brushed strands of her hair back and whispered, "How is it that someone as kind as you could see through a thousand years of treachery?"

"If we were all judged solely on our past, then how could we ever make a future. I believe that there is good in you, all you have to do is believe that, too." She whispered as she touched his cheek and swept a single tear away without a word.

"I want to. For you, I want to." He answered before he entertwined their fingers and kissed her with all of the hope he felt in that moment.

Caroline started to speak, but her words faltered as Klaus looked into her eyes and slowly slid into her. It took everything she had to keep her eyes focused on his as every part of his body was touching hers.

She was given a reprieve when Klaus threw his head back on a groan and Caroline watched as the vein pulsed beside his throat.

She looked at him cautiously and asked, "Can I?"

He nodded and her heart fluttered as she leaned forward and let her tongue glide over his neck as his blood danced beneath his skin and before she had a single coherent thought her teeth lengthened and pierced his flesh.

The sound of wood splintering behind her should have given her pause, but in that moment she realized there was something much deeper between her and Klaus. Trust.

As she eased away from him, she glanced up and saw the yellow flash against the blue of his eyes for just and instant and she knew he wouldn't hurt her. His lips quickly found hers tasting his own blood on her as he picked up a steady rhythm.

Caroline giggled as she looked up and saw cracks in the head board.

"That's going to be tough to explain tomorrow." She said with a smile.

Klaus just followed her line of sight and smirked as he knelt in front of her and pulled her up over his lap.

"Love, we'll be lucky if we don't have to compel the entire floor by morning." He growled against her ear.

For hours it seemed, the pair christened nearly every horizontal surface and several less than horizontal surfaces. Caroline was exhausted by the time they finally landed back in the bed with Klaus ghosting his fingers over every inch of flesh within reach.

"I always knew you would be magnificent, love."

"Well, a thousand years of practice certainly hasn't hurt your game either." She smiled as she leaned up to kiss him before the pair of them curled around one another to get what amounted to an hour of sleep before the sun rose and they had to leave the comfort of their room.

* * *

**_Liv's family and I are so completely blown away and touched by the outpouring of messages from everyone on FF. While some of you knew her, others only knew her work and yet we've seen hundreds of messages and reviews from so many of you. _**

**_In one of the most difficult times, you have all given us a reason to smile and remember what a kind and giving soul she was. This was one of her favorite songs. It was also the song we played at her service today, and there was not a dry eye in the house. _**

**_If you've never heard it, give it a listen. I'll probably cry every time I hear it for the rest of my life, but it's beautiful! _**

WARREN ZEVON - Keep Me In Your Heart

_Shadows are falling and I'm running out of breath_  
_Keep me in your heart for awhile_  
_If I leave you it doesn't mean I love you any less_  
_Keep me in your heart for awhile_

_When you get up in the morning and you see that crazy sun_  
_Keep me in your heart for awhile_  
_There's a train leaving nightly called when all is said and done_  
_Keep me in your heart for awhile_

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-li-li-lo_  
_Keep me in your heart for awhile_  
_Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-li-li-lo_  
_Keep me in your heart for awhile_

_Sometimes when you're doing simple things around the house _  
_Maybe you'll think of me and smile_  
_You know I'm tied to you like the buttons on your blouse_  
_Keep me in your heart for awhile_

_Hold me in your thoughts, take me to your dreams_  
_Touch me as I fall into view_  
_When the winter comes keep the fires lit_  
_And I will be right next to you_

_Engine driver's headed north to Pleasant Stream_  
_Keep me in your heart for awhile_  
_These wheels keep turning but they're running out of steam_  
_Keep me in your heart for awhile_

_Livi, you will never be far from my heart...I miss you already. Love you to the moon and the stars, and hopefully you'll be there to receive it! Goodbye for now, little sister :)_


	36. Sorry

I was really sure I'd be able to post the next chapter that Liv wrote, but family obligations made that difficult. The hardest part has been getting through the author's notes and song selections Liv made. She sounded so alive and hopeful in them and all of us are sitting here suffocating under the weight of her loss. In addition, the driver was released on bail and returned to the bar where he had been drinking the night of the accident telling people how accidents happen and Liv was somehow at fault.

How this monster can clear his conscience long enough to have a cocktail and talk about her life and her death like it meant nothing, I really have no idea.

Anyway, I have a mountain of excuses, but at the end of the day...I'm just not ready to yet. I feel like once I post the 3 chapters I have left from her that she will really be forever gone.

I promise that I will get it done, and if I can't I will send them to someone else to read so that we can get the story back on track.

Erin


	37. One Quick Update on Liv's Court Case

First of all, thank you for being so patient. I am going to try and get at least one of Liv's chapters up in the next day or two...but, I didn't want to wait to share a bit of good news.

As anyone who read the last update is aware, the driver did have his bail revoked after he not only visited the bar he was at the night of the accident, but also attempted to drive while intoxicated (again) when he was asked to leave. Both violations of the terms of his bail.

Today, the case went before a judge as the defense team suggested that the driver take a plea with evidence mounting against him and his latest indiscretion. Typically, pleas work in the favor of the defendant we were told, however we were extremely happy with the outcome.

The driver plead guilty to felony murder (which is what he would have gone to trial for due to the number of previous arrests and a previous DUI accident with injuries on his record apart from this accident). He received 40 years in prison, of which he must serve no less than 30 years before he is eligible for parole. His license will be revoked permanently and he will have to undergo drug and alcohol counseling as well. He will also face fines of up to $50,000 and civil charges being brought by Liv's family which could be considerably more costly for him.

So, that puts an end to Liv's terribly sad story...but we will all sleep a little better knowing that this man can not take anyone else's friend, child or loved one from them. It's really too bad that it took several DUI arrests and Liv's life to finally get this man off the road.

Unfortunately, this does nothing to ease the pain that all of us have suffered because her life ended too soon, but we finally have a little closure. Today marked two seeks since Liv passed away, but hopefully this will give her a little bit of peace, too.

Anyway, I thought you would like to know that Liv got some amount of justice. It was never going to be enough, but it was the best we could have hoped for.

Erin


	38. Letter from Livi: do you want to read it

I planned to share this in an update, but it has taken me a lot longer to get around to editing Liv's 3 chapters. So, I feel I owe you an explanation because she would undoubtedly be spitting mad at me For keeping you hanging.

I wish I could say it's albecause I'm busy. And a lot of it is. I've been back to work, and working on some original writing of my own tfinish promised Liv I would finish. But, really the reason is simple. These three little chapters are the last pieces of her that I can hold in my hands. And I'vereally been struggling to let her go.

For some of you, you're alreadyaware that Liv left a few letters for the people she cared about. And one of those letters was for all of you. I've been holding onto it for weeks trying to decide if I should post the letter in its entirety or pm it to those of you who choose to read it. My fear is that some of you would be upset by reading it, so I'm asking you...I know there are a lot of guest reviewers who wouldn't get to see it if I don't post it. Do you want me to post it or wouldyou rather choose to read or not by pm?

Fyi, I'm writing this on my phone and it isn't letting space properly...sorry :)

Tell me what yoU think. I'll share it with anyone who wants to see it. And I will get back to editing Liv's new chapters this weekend. I plan to leave her pm'sintact and as much of her writing as possible. So if there are major errors I'll try to correct them, but I honestly don't want to change her words too much.

Again, thank you so much for the thoughts and prayers. They mean so much more than you can EVER know.

Erin


	39. Letter From Livi to you

**I have spent weeks trying to figure out what to do, whether to post this or PM the letter to everyone, but all of you reminded me of something really important.**

**It's not my choice to make. Liv wrote this letter to you and obviously she wanted all of you to read it.**

**She may not have known you and for some of you, she was gone before you even started reading this story, but this and her story are reminders to all of us that she was here. I will post her three chapters over the weekend. And I promise you all as I promised her, I WILL finish this story the way that she wanted. Whether you knew her well or just through her words...she was an amazing person and friend. And she was forgiving as is clear at the end of her letter. She wrote it almost two weeks before she died, at a time when all of us had been so full of hope...even her doctors. But, she always was a couple chapters ahead of the story...I will miss her every single day, but I'll also be thankful for every moment I had with her. Those memories will never fade.**

**I hope that it gives all of you a little bit of closure, too. She loved you all :)**

**XOXO Erin**

* * *

2/7/13

Hi Everyone,

I have been contemplating doing this for a few days now. I thought it would be kind of morbid and maybe a bit of a downer, but there are so many things I wanted to say to all of you, and I am afraid that I'll never get the chance to say them...

First of all, if you're reading this….it means that I'm not around anymore to tell you myself. And while I really pray that won't happen, I wanted to at least have the chance to say goodbye. So, I am writing you this letter in the hopes that Erin will find it among the chapters I've been working on. There has never been a time in my life when I might have wished harder to be invincible, because there are so many people that I don't want to leave behind. And there are so many more stories that I want to tell :)

You have all (readers and writers) inspired me so much. On the days when it felt like nothing was going right, I knew I could count on all of you to make me smile with your messages, your reviews and your stories, too! You have been so supportive of me, and my story (both the fiction as well as my own story)….and now Erin, too. She knows better than anyone where I wanted to go with this story, and I know she can get it there for you.

It amazes me how close I have become to some of you, even though I've never met you in person and I will truly miss talking to you! More than you could ever know. Some of you on a nearly daily basis even :)

Jess, Ronin, Rena, Nethra, gosh there are so many of you and I wish I could mention you all...but know that I mean to. I'll never forget about any of you.

Please don't be sad for me. I am not afraid, and pain won't be my constant companion anymore. I know that karma will take care of the driver someday, maybe not in this lifetime, but someday. He will however have to live with what he's done and in some ways I think that's worse, one of these days he'll discover there isn't enough alcohol on earth to fill the emptiness that has to leave. In a lot of ways, I almost feel a little sorry for him. Almost.

Take care of Erin for me, I know she will take care of my story as I would have.

Miss you already.

xoxo

Livi


	40. Thinking of You

**I Do not own Vampire Diaries, but I love the characters that reside within that creation. Apart from the characters/settings themselves, the words are mine.**

* * *

****Everything up to the AN at the end belongs to Livi and was written about a week before we lost her. I toyed with removing the comments because it was hard for me to read them knowing how things ended up, but I suspect that you might want to see them. I'll leave my comments at the end :) Erin****

It's been a rough couple of weeks, and I'd be lying if I said I was doing great...so I'll say that I'm doing well enough to write some chapters :)

Thanks to everyone who has sent messages, reviews and the like...hearing from all of you makes me happy! I am hoping to have a few new chapters up soon, though Erin is going to have her work cut out for her...I'm afraid my writing might be suffering a bit, but I needed the distraction. This is a fluffy chapter and I expect next up you will see what Damon, Bonnie and Jer have been up to regarding the wedding.

I really miss talking to all of you, but Erin and my mom have been reading your comments, messages and reviews to me everyday!

Love you guys!

xoxo Livi

* * *

_When the flowers bloom, when the leaves turn brown _  
_When the sun is hot, when the snow falls down, down _  
_When the clouds are gray, and the sky's are blue _  
_That's how you know, I'm thinkin' of you _

_I'm thinkin of you, that's all I do all the time _  
_You're always the first and the last on this heart of mine _  
_No matter where I go or what I do, _  
_I'm thinkin' of you. _

_Can't remember names, who I used to be _  
_What I cared about before you came to me, baby _  
_Every selfish thought, all I thought I knew _  
_Has been replaced with thinkin' of you._

_Thinking of You by Dierks Bentley_

* * *

The next morning Elena woke up to the sound of the shower running. She could hear Damon whistling as clearly as each drop of water skittering down the glass walls that surrounded him. She stretched as she watched his movements reflected in the mirror just inside the door from her position on the hotel bed.

"You coming in, or are you just wanting to watch?" Damon asked shaking her from observations.

"That depends, were you planning on putting on a show?" She asked as she watched him rub the haze from the glass so he could see her clearly.

"I'll show you anything you want, so long as you are on my side of the glass." He said as he popped the door open in invitation.

Before the cool air had a chance to settle against his skin, Elena had him pressed against the far wall of the shower and the door was once again closed. One of the perks of her new vampire speed.

"Good morning." She whispered as she ran her hands over his skin.

"Oh, yes...this is a VERY good morning. Getting better by the second." Damon said as he leaned in to kiss her.

A moment later he lifted her off the ground and pressed her back to the cool tiles, giving in to the need that was rapidly consuming them. Damon had wanted to wait til after the wedding that was less than twelve hours away, but seeing her standing before him with beads of water glistening off her skin his best intentions floated off with the steam.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

An hour later, Damon and Elena stepped off the elevator to find Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy and Klaus waiting for them.

"You know we have two cars. You could have gone without us." Damon said.

"And miss the two of you doing the walk of shame?" Klaus said with a smirk.

"Really? Because it looks like we might not be the only ones." Elena said with a laugh as she watched Caroline's eyes work the room instead of looking in their direction.

Laughs erupted all around as they made their way out to the street to claim their cars. When the valet came around, Damon loaded the garment bags in to the back of the Camaro making sure that there was no room for any additional passengers.

He stood straight and smirked as he looked at Elena and said, "What? Can you blame me for wanting to be alone with such a beautiful woman?"

"What if I wanted to ride with the girls?" She asked as she smiled at him.

A moment later, she found herself in the passenger seat as Damon was speeding away from the rest of the group.

"I would say, too bad." Damon answered as he watched the others in his rear view mirror laughing.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

When they arrived back at the boarding house, Damon took their bags upstairs before he met Elena in the kitchen where she stood talking with Stefan and Matt.

"So, how is Miss Katherine doing?" She asked.

"Hungry, pissed, vindictive..." Stefan said.

"Sounds about right." Damon said as he entered the room and wrapped his arms around Elena, placing a protective hand over her belly.

"So, what's the plan?" Elena asked as she glanced back at Damon.

"I compelled the staff to stay away from your families plot today. And Tyler and I got everything set up exactly as Caroline asked." Stefan answered.

"You mean demanded." Matt answered.

Stefan smiled and nodded in agreement.

They all laughed at the thought of the gorgeous blonde tyrant who was just arriving with Klaus, Jeremy and Bonnie now.  
"Speak of the devil." Damon said as he listened to Klaus' car come to a stop in the driveway of the Boarding House.

A fraction of a second later, all the supernatural beings snickered as they heard Caroline grumble, "I'll show you the devil, Damon Salvatore."

Matt simply rolled his eyes knowing that something had transpired, but not really sure he wanted to be in on the secret.

"So, Lena...How are you feeling?" Matt asked.

"Actually, pretty good. Though I have no idea what I should be feeling like. I mean this is kind of uncharted territory, you know?"

Matt nodded, his concern was obvious so Elena elaborated, "I'm going to be fine, Matt. We're going to figure this out. We always do."

Elena reached out and touched his shoulder and he recoiled as a vivid flash of two small children stared back at him. Two tiny little Elena clones with bright blue eyes and mischievous grins that he knew to be Damon's.

"What the..." Matt said as he stumbled back and sat on one of the bar stools.

"What is it?" Elena asked as she approached and touched him again.

"I saw them." Matt said sounding completely astounded.

"Who?" Damon asked.

"Ellie and Lilah." Matt whispered as shock still lingered in his voice.

Matt laughed aloud as he considered all of the supernatural blow back he'd been exposed to over the years, this experience had been relatively harmless and yet it had shocked him more than any that came before.

Damon shook his head in disbelief before he knelt down and spoke directly to the very slight curve of Elena's belly, "What's with the secret society here? I'm even more excited to meet you than they are."

He smiled up at Elena just before he pressed a kiss protectively over the spot where his daughters were growing, and in that instant he heard two fluttering heartbeats skittering along and he knew that was all he needed to hear. He would wait as long as he had to. For that fleeting moment, Damon felt decidedly human as a rush of excitement, anxiety, joy, and fear crept over him.

In the blink of an eye, Damon was on his feet and rushing around the room as he put his plans into motion leaving even Caroline in his wake, momentarily.

"Witchy. Little Gilbert. Time for you two to kick it into gear and make sure all of our guests arrive on time! Barbie, you're on Bride duty. Whatever she wants, she gets. Klaus, do me a favor and make sure that the rest of your family stays OFF the invite list."

"And what about us?" Stefan and Matt both asked.

"Stef, you are going to have a drink with me." Damon said as he poured two glasses of his favorite bourbon.

"And what about me?" Matt wondered aloud.

"You can give us a hand setting up." Jeremy yelled as he led Bonnie towards the front door.

"What he said." Damon answered to his retreating form as he threw back his drink and poured another.

Stefan couldn't help but snicker at his brother, as this was the first time in 150 years that he'd actually seen him battle nerves. Ordinarily, Damon was confident. Arrogant even. So this was a sight that Stefan enjoyed immensely.

**TVDTVDTVDTVDTVD**

Several hours later, Damon was standing beside the Gilbert family plot with Stefan. The sun had just begun to set when his phone chirped alerting them to Elena's arrival. Evidently, Bonnie had received the message as well because suddenly hundreds of meticulously placed candles flickered to life before them. Jeremy nodded to Bonnie as he walked down to escort Elena, and Damon let that trademark smirk show knowing that everything he'd planned was about to fall into place.

* * *

**Well guys, I can't tell you how sorry I am that it has taken me 4 months to post this chapter. I went back and forth so many times as to whether to make changes and take out the Author's Note, or leave it and ultimately I decided that you deserve to see the chapter as she wanted you to. I'm sorry if the AN makes you sad, I know that it definitely was hard for me to read, but it also shows just how much she wanted to finish this story for all of you. If you are certain of nothing else, be certain that she adored all of you. This story brought her a lot of happiness towards the end, but I am convinced that was directly related to how amazing and supportive you were.**

**And I can't thank you enough for supporting me, if only because of Livi. It means a lot that she trusted me with her story and with all of you :) She has two more chapters which I am debating condensing into one chapter and then I will start to work on the remaining chapters so that this story gets the finish she always intended for it to have.**

**Erin**


End file.
